Located in Riverside County, California, Cap Rock is a rock formation. It lies in or next to Joshua Tree National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Twentynine Palms, about 19.2 km (11.9 mi) away (Cap Rock lies SSW of town).
From the National Park Service
Cap Rock is a popular rock formation in the central part of Joshua Tree National Park. Located near the north end of Keys View Road near Park Boulevard, Cap Rock is an easy to reach location. In addition to the unique rock formation, Cap Rock offers a picnic area with grills as well as the Cap Rock Nature Trail for a short walk through nearby rock formations with interpretive signs along the way to learn about the area. The area around Cap Rock and the nature trail are flat dirt and gravel surfaces. Stats Length: 0.4 miles Width: 36 inches on average Surface material: hard-packed sand Elevation gain: 20 feet This is a loop trail Barriers The hard-packed sand may be loose and deeper in some sections depending on the weather. There are a few places where large boulders overhang the trail and may be a barrier. Parking There are: 2 standard accessible spaces 25 other spaces Restrooms There is a vault toilet near the parking lot. This toilet has: No running water Grab bars There is a 2-inch change in level between the concrete pad the vault toilet is on, and the surrounding ground.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cap 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) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 61° ENE | 8:00 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:47 AM | 118° ESE | 4:40 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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:06 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 Cap 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 3:57 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 3:43 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:39 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:17 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:35 PM – 8:15 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: 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 ≈ 20.92 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 rock formation
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cap Rock, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
Canyon
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ryan Campground1.1 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Sheep Pass Group4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Jumbo Rocks Campground9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Indian Cove Group11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Indian Cove Campground14.6 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cap Rock?
What time is golden hour at Cap Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cap Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cap Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cap Rock?
How far is Cap Rock from Twentynine Palms?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.