Located in Sonoma County, California, Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve is a state park. It sits roughly 4.2 km (2.6 mi) NNW of Guerneville.
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve is a state park of California in the United States established to preserve 805 acres (326 ha) of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). The reserve is located in Sonoma County, just north of Guerneville. Part of the natural area is old-growth forest and recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network. The reserve is in a temperate rainforest. The climate is mild and wet. The park receives an average of 55 inches (1.4 m) of rainfall per year, almost all between September and June. Abundant fog during the summer months helps to maintain the moist conditions required by the coast redwoods.From the Wikipedia article “Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 59° ENE | 8:40 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 120° ESE | 4:55 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.49 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). September is the warmest month and February 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 | 62 | 71 | 76 | 73 | 65 | 70 | 74 | 76 | 66 | 62 |
| Low °F | 41 | 43 | 42 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 50 | 53 | 53 | 51 | 45 | 43 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.3 | 6.7 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 4.2 | 8.6 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, closest first.
State Park
Beach
Natural Arch
State Park
State Park
Beach
Mountain Peak
State Park
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Boat-In Sites (Lake Sonoma)18.9 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Liberty Glen (Lake Sonoma)19.9 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
- Warm Springs Rec Area20 km (12 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve?
What time is golden hour at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve?
Where does the sun rise and set at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve?
Can you see the Milky Way from Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve?
How far is Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve from Guerneville?
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.