Located in Los Angeles County, California, Goat Buttes is a rock formation. It lies in or next to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 5.0 km (3.1 mi) SSE of Agoura.
The Goat Buttes are a group of sandstone outcroppings located along the Backbone Trail in Malibu, California. The area is locally famous for the 'Morrison Cave', a spot which was frequented by Jim Morrison in the 1960s. The Goat Buttes are located in the southwestern corner of Malibu Creek State Park, at the north end of Corral Canyon Road.From the Wikipedia article “Goat Buttes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goat Buttes 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 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 61° ENE | 8:10 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 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 | 32° | 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 | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 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 Goat Buttes, 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 | 4:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:53 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:29 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:14 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:27 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:25 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 ≈ 18.88 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 rock formation
- 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.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Goat Buttes, closest first.
State Park
Canyon
State Park
Beach
State Park
Natural Arch
Natural Arch
Botanical Garden
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goat Buttes?
What time is golden hour at Goat Buttes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goat Buttes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goat Buttes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goat Buttes?
How far is Goat Buttes from Agoura?
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.