Robbers Roost — a rock formation in Kern County, California — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Inyokern, about 13.7 km (8.5 mi) away (Robbers Roost lies WSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Robbers Roost (unincorporated Kern County, California, also known as Robber's Roost and Bandit Rock) is a rock formation in the foothills of the Scodie Mountains portion of the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the North Mojave Desert. The formation overlooks the southern portion of the Indian Wells Valley. The nearest municipality is Ridgecrest, California. The Los Angeles Aqueduct is within several hundred yards of the formation. The area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Robbers Roost lies west of Freeman Junction, which is approximately at the intersection of California highways 178 and 14.From the Wikipedia article “Robbers Roost (Kern County, California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Robbers Roost 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 60° ENE | 8:11 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:58 AM | 119° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 7:40 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 46m |
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 Robbers Roost, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:00 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:16 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.38 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 13% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 77 | 85 | 88 | 96 | 106 | 112 | 113 | 113 | 110 | 99 | 85 | 74 |
| Low °F | 22 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 57 | 54 | 43 | 35 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Robbers Roost, closest first.
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakWilderness Area
Natural Arch
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Robbers Roost?
What time is golden hour at Robbers Roost?
Where does the sun rise and set at Robbers Roost?
Can you see the Milky Way from Robbers Roost?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Robbers Roost?
How far is Robbers Roost from Inyokern?
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.