Castle Rocks is a rock formation in Tulare County, California. It is part of Sequoia National Park. It sits roughly 19.2 km (11.9 mi) ENE of Three Rivers.
Castle Rocks is a 9,088-foot-elevation (2,770-meter) mountain summit in Tulare County, California, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Castle Rocks”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Rocks 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 60° ENE | 8:17 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 119° ESE | 4:44 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Rocks, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:43 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:50 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 3:57 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 81 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
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
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Castle Rocks, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Rock Formation
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Atwell Mill Campground4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Buckeye Flat Campground6.0 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Potwisha Campground9.1 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Cold Springs Campground (Ca)9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Campground-Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Park12.5 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Rocks?
What time is golden hour at Castle Rocks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Rocks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Rocks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Rocks?
How far is Castle Rocks from Three Rivers?
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.