Located in Riverside County, California, Toro Peak is a mountain peak at about 2,650 m (8,694 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is La Quinta, about 18.9 km (11.7 mi) away (Toro Peak lies SW of town).
Toro Peak, in Southern California, is the highest mountain in the Santa Rosa Mountain Range. It is located 15 miles (24 km) south of Palm Springs, 12 miles (19 km) west of the Salton Sea, and 31 miles (50 km) east of Temecula, in the County of Riverside, California. Part of the mountain is under the jurisdiction of the San Bernardino National Forest. Another portion, including the 8,717 ft summit and the United States Geological Survey marker on the summit (registered in 1939), is gated and controlled by the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation. A third portion of the mountain is administered by the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.From the Wikipedia article “Toro Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Toro Peak 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) | 6:50 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 61° ENE | 8:00 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:47 AM | 118° ESE | 4:42 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Toro Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:26 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:16 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 ≈ 20.66 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 February as the cloudiest (41%). 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 | 84 | 90 | 94 | 100 | 109 | 117 | 118 | 115 | 115 | 104 | 92 | 82 |
| Low °F | 26 | 28 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Toro Peak, closest first.
National Forest
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Canyon
Canyon
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ribbonwood Equestrian Cg6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Pinyon Flat Campground (San Bernardino National Forest)7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Pinyon Flat Campground7.4 km (4.6 mi)
- Indian Flats Campground29 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Toro Peak?
What time is golden hour at Toro Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Toro Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Toro Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Toro Peak?
How far is Toro Peak from La Quinta?
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.