Hearst Castle — a state park in San Luis Obispo County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Cambria, about 15.6 km (9.7 mi) away (Hearst Castle lies NNW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada (Spanish for 'The Enchanted Hill'), is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his architect Julia Morgan, the castle was built between 1919 and 1947. Today, Hearst Castle is a museum open to the public as a California State Park and registered as a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark.From the Wikipedia article “Hearst Castle”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hearst Castle the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:25 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Hearst Castle, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:14 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:30 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 77 | 80 | 78 | 87 | 81 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 82 | 73 |
| Low °F | 38 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 53 | 51 | 44 | 41 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.1 |
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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Hearst Castle, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hearst Castle?
What time is golden hour at Hearst Castle?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hearst Castle?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hearst Castle?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hearst Castle?
How far is Hearst Castle from Cambria?
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.