Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park — a state park in Los Angeles County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Lake Los Angeles, about 4.6 km (2.9 mi) away (Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park lies NNW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park is a state historic park of California, United States, interpreting Native American cultures of the Great Basin and surrounding regions. The park and its grounds are situated on the Antelope Valley's rural east side in northern Los Angeles County, California. The museum contains the combined collections of H. Arden Edwards and subsequent owner and anthropology student Grace Oliver. The exhibits represent and interpret Native Americans groups, both aboriginal and contemporary, of the Southwest, Great Basin, and Californian cultural regions. A number of the artifacts on display are rare or one-of-a-kind items. The museum was originally constructed by homesteader/artist H. Arden Edwards in 1928. The chalet-style structure was built over the rock formation of Piute Butte in the Mojave Desert. The unusual folk art structure,...From the Wikipedia article “Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park 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 300° (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) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 61° ENE | 8:08 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 118° ESE | 4:45 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park, 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | 4:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (44%). 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 | 82 | 87 | 93 | 103 | 110 | 111 | 109 | 109 | 98 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 40 | 33 | 24 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
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 state park
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park?
How far is Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park from Lake Los Angeles?
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.