Arch Rock — a natural arch in Los Angeles County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 4.7 km (2.9 mi) WSW of Pacific Palisades.
Arch Rock was a natural arch formation located just south of Topanga Canyon along the coast of Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles County, California in the United States. Arch Rock was located at what is now 18412 Pacific Coast Highway. It was a popular destination for day trips from the young town of Santa Monica. The arch collapsed or was surreptitiously demolished the evening of March 24, 1906, possibly because it was an inconvenient obstacle to creating a coast route for the new-fangled automobiles. Another account says a railroad crew dynamited the formation under cover of darkness. A coach route had previously traveled right under the arch but was only accessible at low tide. Nearby Castle Rock was demolished as part of a road expansion project in 1945.From the Wikipedia article “Arch Rock (Topanga)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arch Rock 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 61° ENE | 8:10 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 118° ESE | 4:50 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
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 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 Arch Rock, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:26 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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
- 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.
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Arch Rock, closest first.
Natural Arch
State ParkCanyon
State Park
State Park
State Park
Beach
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arch Rock?
What time is golden hour at Arch Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arch Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arch Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arch Rock?
How far is Arch Rock from Pacific Palisades?
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.