Auburn State Recreation Area is a state park in Placer County, California. The nearest town is Auburn, about 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away (Auburn State Recreation Area lies NE of town).
Auburn State Recreation Area is a state park unit of California, along 40 miles (64 km) of the North and Middle Forks of the American River. The state recreation area (SRA) is situated on the border of Placer and El Dorado Counties in the heart of historic Gold Country. The largest city with close proximity is the city of Auburn. Once teeming with gold mining activity, the area now offers a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities. Major recreational uses include trail running, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, camping, mountain biking, gold panning, horseback riding, road bicycling, and off-highway motorcycle riding. Whitewater recreation is also very popular on both forks of the river, with Class II, III and IV runs. Auburn SRA is also known as the location of a number of endurance races that are hosted throughout the year.From the Wikipedia article “Auburn State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Auburn State Recreation Area 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 302° (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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:46 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Auburn State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | 5:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.32 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 77 | 83 | 93 | 107 | 112 | 116 | 112 | 115 | 107 | 87 | 76 |
| Low °F | 24 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 38 | 45 | 51 | 52 | 47 | 40 | 26 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Auburn State Recreation Area, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Ghost Town
State Park
Lake
Ghost Town
CanyonCanyon
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Auburn State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Auburn State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Auburn State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Auburn State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Auburn State Recreation Area?
How far is Auburn State Recreation Area from Auburn?
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.