Located in San Bernardino County, California, Cima is a ghost town. It sits roughly 84 km (53 mi) W of Laughlin.
Cima (Spanish for "Summit") is a small unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, in the United States. It lies in a mountain pass on the divide between the Ivanpah Valley and the Mojave River basin, at an elevation of 4,175 feet (1,273 m). The Ivanpah Mountains and Interstate 15 are to the north, the New York Mountains are to the east, and the Providence Mountains are to the south. To the northwest is the Cima volcanic field, which contains Cima Dome at 5,745 feet (1,751 m) above sea level, a prominent landmark along I-15. Cima is also home to one of the densest Yucca brevifolia forests in California, located in the Cima Dome.From the Wikipedia article “Cima, California”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cima 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 60° ENE | 8:01 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 119° ESE | 4:34 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:04 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Cima, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 4:34 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:12 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 12:05 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:16 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (44%). 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 | 76 | 77 | 87 | 95 | 104 | 110 | 110 | 108 | 108 | 96 | 83 | 73 |
| Low °F | 17 | 19 | 23 | 29 | 35 | 44 | 57 | 51 | 41 | 26 | 21 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 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 ghost town
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cima, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mid Hills Campground14.1 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Hole-In-The-Wall Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Black Canyon Group And Equestrian Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cima?
What time is golden hour at Cima?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cima?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cima?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cima?
How far is Cima from Laughlin?
Sources
Location data: 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.