Joshua Tree National Park — a dark sky place in Riverside County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Joshua Tree National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Twentynine Palms, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Joshua Tree National Park lies SSE of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Joshua Tree National Park is a US national park located in southeastern California, straddling north-central Riverside County and part of southern San Bernardino County. Named after the endemic Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), found in the park and surrounding areas, Joshua Tree is situated some 130 miles (211 km) east of the city of Los Angeles and roughly 78 mi (125 km) east of the city of San Bernardino. Among some of the closest cities to the park are Indio, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs. Originally declared a national monument in 1936, Joshua Tree was redesignated as a national park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act.From the Wikipedia article “Joshua Tree National Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Joshua Tree National 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) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 61° ENE | 7:58 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 118° ESE | 4:39 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Joshua Tree National Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:35 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 3:41 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:17 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:13 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:16 PM – 10:16 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.7 | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.22 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 December as the cloudiest (39%). 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 | 86 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 110 | 118 | 120 | 115 | 116 | 104 | 92 | 81 |
| Low °F | 27 | 27 | 34 | 38 | 46 | 51 | 62 | 60 | 52 | 42 | 32 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Joshua Tree National Park, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cottonwood Group15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Cottonwood Campground (Ca)15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Jumbo Rocks Campground19.9 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
- Sheep Pass Group24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Ryan Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Joshua Tree National Park?
What time is golden hour at Joshua Tree National Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Joshua Tree National Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Joshua Tree National Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Joshua Tree National Park?
How far is Joshua Tree National Park from Twentynine Palms?
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.