Death Valley National Park is a dark sky place in Inyo County, California. The nearest town is Death Valley, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Death Valley National Park lies N of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Death Valley National Park is a national park of the United States that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern section of Eureka Valley and most of Saline Valley. The park occupies an interface zone between the arid Great Basin and Mojave deserts, protecting the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and its diverse environment of salt-flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons and mountains. Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States, as well as the hottest, driest and lowest of all the national parks in the United States. It contains Badwater Basin, the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere and lowest in North America at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. More than 93% of the park is a designated wilderness area.From the Wikipedia article “Death Valley National Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Death Valley National Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 60° ENE | 8:09 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:56 AM | 119° ESE | 4:36 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Death Valley National Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:51 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:32 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:14 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (47%). 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 | 78 | 78 | 89 | 96 | 107 | 112 | 113 | 113 | 109 | 98 | 85 | 74 |
| Low °F | 18 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 39 | 47 | 61 | 58 | 44 | 27 | 22 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Death Valley National Park, closest first.
Canyon
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Ghost TownGhost Town
Scenic ViewpointNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sunset Campground1.3 km (0.8 mi)
- Death Valley Backcountry Roadside Camping2.0 km (1.2 mi) · reservable
- Furnace Creek Campground2.2 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Death Valley National Park?
What time is golden hour at Death Valley National Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Death Valley National Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Death Valley National Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Death Valley National Park?
How far is Death Valley National Park from Death Valley?
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.