Bald Rock Dome is a mountain peak in Butte County, California at about 1,022 m (3,353 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 8.0 km (5.0 mi) E of Berry Creek.
Bald Rock is a granite summit located in Butte County, California, in the Plumas National Forest. Located close to Lake Oroville, the dome peak overlooks Sacramento Valley and coastal mountain ranges.From the Wikipedia article “Bald Rock Dome”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bald Rock Dome the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Bald Rock Dome, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.4 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 74 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 100 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 108 | 99 | 85 | 69 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 39 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 31 | 14 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 7.2 |
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 mountain peak
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bald Rock Dome, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
Covered Bridge
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Madrone Cove Boat-In Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Grizzly Creek Campground (Ca)25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Frenchy Point Campground26 km (16 mi)
- Hutchins27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Sundew Campground (Ca)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bald Rock Dome?
What time is golden hour at Bald Rock Dome?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bald Rock Dome?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bald Rock Dome?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bald Rock Dome?
How far is Bald Rock Dome from Berry Creek?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.