Ibex Dunes — a sand dunes in San Bernardino County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Fort Irwin, about 56 km (35 mi) away (Ibex Dunes lies NNE of town).
Wikidata describes it as: “sand dunes in Death Valley National Park, California, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ibex Dunes 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 241° (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) | 6:50 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 60° ENE | 8:05 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 119° ESE | 4:36 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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
Dunes need low sun: ripples and ridgelines only appear when side-light casts shadows, so shoot within an hour of sunrise or sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:07 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Ibex Dunes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 3:54 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:10 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:06 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: 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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 16% 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 | 81 | 80 | 92 | 101 | 111 | 116 | 117 | 115 | 114 | 102 | 89 | 75 |
| Low °F | 22 | 23 | 29 | 33 | 41 | 49 | 61 | 57 | 47 | 32 | 24 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
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 sand dunes
- A telephoto isolates S-curves and layered ridges.
- Wind erases tracks overnight — mornings have the cleanest sand.
- Protect gear from blowing sand; avoid changing lenses in the wind.
- Sand surfaces get extremely hot in summer afternoons.
- Walk along ridges rather than across faces to avoid leaving footprints in your future compositions.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn for comfortable temperatures; full moon nights give soft light on the sand.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lens blower, Sun protection, Water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ibex Dunes, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Sand Dunes
Canyon
Hot SpringFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ibex Dunes?
What time is golden hour at Ibex Dunes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ibex Dunes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ibex Dunes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ibex Dunes?
How far is Ibex Dunes from Fort Irwin?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.