Located in Nevada County, California, Empire Mine State Historic Park is a state park. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) SE of Grass Valley. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Empire Mine State Historic Park is a state-protected mine and park in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Grass Valley, California, U.S. The Empire Mine is on the National Register of Historic Places, a federal Historic District, and a California Historical Landmark. Since 1975, California State Parks has administered and maintained the mine as a historic site. Situated in the Grass Valley Mining District, the Empire Mine is "one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California". Between 1850 and its closure in 1956, the Empire Mine produced 5.8 million ounces (165 tons) of gold, extracted from 367 miles (591 km) of underground passages.From the Wikipedia article “Empire Mine State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Empire Mine State Historic Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 74° in summer but only 27° 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) | 5:39 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:19 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 | 7:51 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Empire Mine State Historic Park, 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 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 | 5:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:06 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: 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 ≈ 19.55 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 74 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 100 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 108 | 99 | 85 | 69 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 39 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 31 | 14 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 7.2 |
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 Empire Mine State Historic Park, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
Canyon
Covered Bridge
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallCanyon
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Englebright Lake Boat-In Campground 19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- White Cloud21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Giant Gap23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Shirttail Creek23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cottage Creek Campground (Ca)23 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Empire Mine State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Empire Mine State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Empire Mine State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Empire Mine State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Empire Mine State Historic Park?
How far is Empire Mine State Historic Park from Grass Valley?
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.