Mount Rubidoux — a mountain peak in Riverside County, California at about 405 m (1,329 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Rubidoux, about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away (Mount Rubidoux lies SE of town).
Mount Rubidoux is a mountain just west of downtown in the city of Riverside, California, United States, that has been designated a city park and landmark. The mountain was once a popular Southern California tourist destination and is still the site of the oldest outdoor non-denominational Easter Sunrise service in the United States. Many historic markers and memorials have been placed on the mountain, the most prominent being the cross at the summit dedicated to Father Junípero Serra. A majority of Mt. Rubidoux is owned by the City of Riverside, while 0.43 acres at the peak is owned by Rivers & Lands Conservancy after the cross attracted a potential lawsuit and the city decided to sell it at auction to a private organization (see Legal battle below). The Santa Ana River flows at the base of the mountain, marking the boundary between the city of Riverside and the Rubidoux...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Rubidoux”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Rubidoux 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 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 61° ENE | 8:05 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 118° ESE | 4:45 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Mount Rubidoux, 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 8 (city 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:02 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.2 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August 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 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 35 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 38 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Mount Rubidoux, closest first.
Hot Spring
Botanical Garden
State Park
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Lake
Canyon
CanyonCanyonFAQ
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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.