Located in Los Angeles County, California, Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area is a state park. The nearest town is Ladera Heights, about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) away (Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area lies NNE of town).
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, or Kenneth Hahn Park, is a state park unit of California in the Baldwin Hills Mountains of Los Angeles. The park is managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. As one of the largest urban parks and regional open spaces in the Greater Los Angeles Area, many have called it "L.A.'s Central Park". The 401-acre (1.62 km2) park was established in 1984. The land was previously the Baldwin Hills Reservoir, which failed catastrophically in the 1963 Baldwin Hills Dam disaster. In 1988, four years after it opened, the Los Angeles Times noted that: Few Southern Californians seem to know about a park in Baldwin Hills, but the clean, well-developed park is no secret to nearby residents, who enjoy weekend picnics and barbecues on the expansive lawns.From the Wikipedia article “Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:09 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:56 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:25 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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 Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
Canyon
Beach
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire Lookout
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area?
How far is Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area from Ladera Heights?
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.