San Bernardino National Forest is a national forest in Riverside County, California. It sits roughly 18.9 km (11.7 mi) SW of La Quinta.
The San Bernardino National Forest is a United States national forest in Southern California encompassing 823,816 acres (3,333.87 km2) of which 677,982 acres (2,743.70 km2) are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains on the easternmost of the Transverse Ranges, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the Peninsular Ranges. Elevations range from 2,000 to 11,499 feet (600 to 3505 m). The forest includes seven wilderness areas: San Gorgonio, Cucamonga, San Jacinto, South Fork, Santa Rosa, Cahuilla Mountain and Bighorn Mountain. Forest headquarters are located in the city of San Bernardino. There are district offices in Lytle Creek, Idyllwild, and Fawnskin. The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail runs through part of the San Bernardino National...From the Wikipedia article “San Bernardino National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At San Bernardino National Forest 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
Forests suit soft light — overcast days reduce contrast under the canopy, and morning fog adds depth.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:56 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 | 7:24 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 San Bernardino National Forest, 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 national forest
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
Suggested gear: Polarizer, Tripod, Offline maps, Insect repellent. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Recreational drones are generally allowed in national forests outside designated wilderness, subject to FAA rules and temporary flight restrictions — wildfire TFRs are common in summer.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of San Bernardino National Forest, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Canyon
Canyon
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Dark Sky PlaceCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ribbonwood Equestrian Cg6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Pinyon Flat Campground (San Bernardino National Forest)7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Pinyon Flat Campground7.5 km (4.6 mi)
- Indian Flats Campground29 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph San Bernardino National Forest?
What time is golden hour at San Bernardino National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at San Bernardino National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from San Bernardino National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at San Bernardino National Forest?
How far is San Bernardino National Forest from La Quinta?
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.