Castle Crags — a rock formation in Shasta County, California — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Castle Crags Wilderness. It sits roughly 6.7 km (4.2 mi) WSW of Dunsmuir.
Castle Crags is a dramatic and well-known rock formation in Northern California. Elevations range from 2,000 feet (610 m) along the Sacramento River near the base of the crags, to over 6,500 feet (2,000 m) at the summit of the tallest crag. Located just west of Interstate 5, between the towns of Castella and Dunsmuir, Castle Crags is today a popular tourist stop along the highway. Mount Shasta is 10 miles to the north. The formation and surrounding habitats are protected by Castle Crags State Park, located on both sides of Interstate 5 at them, and by Castle Crags Wilderness Area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Castle Crags”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Crags the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 57° ENE | 8:46 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 121° ESE | 4:44 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 14m |
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 Castle Crags, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 61 | 63 | 68 | 75 | 87 | 98 | 105 | 104 | 100 | 90 | 78 | 58 |
| Low °F | -7 | 2 | 13 | 20 | 24 | 29 | 40 | 38 | 30 | 21 | 7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 6.5 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Castle Crags, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Girard Ridge Lookout7.3 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Castle Lake Campground7.5 km (4.6 mi)
- Red Fir Flat Group Campground20 km (12 mi) · reservable
- Fowlers Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Mccloud Bridge28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Crags?
What time is golden hour at Castle Crags?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Crags?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Crags?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Crags?
How far is Castle Crags from Dunsmuir?
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.