Cerro Cabrillo is a mountain peak in San Luis Obispo County, California at about 275 m (902 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 3.5 km (2.2 mi) ESE of Morro Bay.
Cerro Cabrillo, also known locally as Cabrillo Peak, is a rocky mountain in eastern Morro Bay State Park, San Luis Obispo County, central California.From the Wikipedia article “Cerro Cabrillo”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cerro Cabrillo 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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 60° ENE | 8:22 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 119° ESE | 4:55 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Cerro Cabrillo, 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 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 | 4:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:55 AM – 4:55 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:07 PM – 3:57 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:33 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: 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 ≈ 19.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 81 | 78 | 84 | 95 | 98 | 105 | 106 | 105 | 109 | 100 | 89 | 78 |
| Low °F | 25 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 40 | 43 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.6 |
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 mountain peak
- 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.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Cerro Cabrillo, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cerro Cabrillo?
What time is golden hour at Cerro Cabrillo?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cerro Cabrillo?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cerro Cabrillo?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cerro Cabrillo?
How far is Cerro Cabrillo from Morro Bay?
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.