Located in San Diego County, California, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a dark sky place. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) W of Borrego Springs. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, AN-zə bə-RAY-goh) is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of Southern California, United States. Created in 1932, the park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and borrego, a Spanish word for sheep. With 650,000 acres (260,000 ha) that includes one-fifth of San Diego County, it is the largest state park in California and the third largest state park nationally. The park occupies eastern San Diego County and reaches into Imperial and Riverside counties, enveloping two communities: Borrego Springs, which is home to the park's headquarters, and Shelter Valley.From the Wikipedia article “Anza-Borrego Desert State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anza-Borrego Desert State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:50 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 61° ENE | 7:59 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 118° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:53 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:36 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:17 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.37 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (41%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 84 | 90 | 94 | 100 | 109 | 117 | 118 | 115 | 115 | 104 | 92 | 82 |
| Low °F | 26 | 28 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this dark sky place
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, closest first.
State Park
Dark Sky Place
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointMountain Pass
Hot Spring
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?
What time is golden hour at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park?
How far is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park from Borrego Springs?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via Wikidata), Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.