Fort Ross State Historic Park — a state park in Sonoma County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) WNW of Monte Rio.
Fort Ross is a former Russian establishment on the west coast of North America in what is now Sonoma County, California, United States. It was the first multi-ethnic community north of the Spanish missions in what is now the U.S. state of California. Owned and operated by the Russian-American Company, it was the hub of the southernmost Russian settlements in North America from 1812 to 1841. Notably cosmopolitan, different ethnic groups settled in and around the fort: Native Californians, Native Alaskans, Russians, Finns, Swedes. It has been the subject of archaeological investigation and is a California Historical Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and on the National Register of Historic Places. It is part of California's Fort Ross State Historic Park.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Ross, California”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Ross State Historic Park 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) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:41 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 120° ESE | 4:56 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 | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 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 Fort Ross State Historic Park, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:24 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.31 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 Fort Ross State Historic Park, closest first.
State Park
Beach
Natural Arch
State Park
State Park
State Park
Mountain Peak
BeachNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Ross State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Fort Ross State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Ross State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Ross State Historic Park?
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How far is Fort Ross State Historic Park from Monte Rio?
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.