Located in San Bernardino County, California, Aikens Arch is a natural arch at about 1,123 m (3,684 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 85 km (53 mi) E of Fort Irwin.
Aikens Arch is a natural arch in the U.S. state of California. It is located in San Bernardino County.From the Wikipedia article “Aikens Arch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aikens Arch 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) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 60° ENE | 8:02 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 119° ESE | 4:35 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:05 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Aikens Arch, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:47 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:14 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (44%). 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 | 76 | 77 | 87 | 95 | 104 | 110 | 110 | 108 | 108 | 96 | 83 | 73 |
| Low °F | 17 | 19 | 23 | 29 | 35 | 44 | 57 | 51 | 41 | 26 | 21 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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 natural arch
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Frame distant features through the opening of the arch for a natural window.
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Aikens Arch, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aikens Arch?
What time is golden hour at Aikens Arch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aikens Arch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aikens Arch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aikens Arch?
How far is Aikens Arch from Fort Irwin?
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.