Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is a state park in Modoc County, California. The nearest town is Burney, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park lies NE of town).
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is a state park of California in the United States. It is located in remote northeastern Shasta County and is only accessible to the public by boat. The park is 4 miles (6.4 km) in length and no more than 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, and has over 13 miles (21 km) of shoreline. It preserves a wilderness of freshwater springs and geologically recent lava flows. Waterways include the Fall River and associated creeks and lakes. The shoreline has blue bays and tree-studded islets along its length. Near the springs are the remains of fish traps built by Native Californian tribes such as the Achomawi, for whom the park is named. Low rock walls enclose shallow pools where they captured sucker and trout. About two thirds of the park's 5,930 acres (2,400 ha) is covered by jagged black basalt deposited in lava flows within the last two to five thousand years. The state...From the Wikipedia article “Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 57° ENE | 8:43 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 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 Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 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 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
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 state park
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Volcano
Hot Spring
WaterfallWaterfallHot Spring
State Park
Waterfall
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park?
What time is golden hour at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park?
How far is Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park from Burney?
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.