Mount San Jacinto State Park is a state park in Riverside County, California. It sits roughly 8.2 km (5.1 mi) NE of Idyllwild.
Mount San Jacinto State Park is in the San Jacinto Mountains, of the Peninsular Ranges system, in Riverside County, California, United States. A majority of the park is within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. The park is near the Greater Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas. Part of the natural area is old-growth forest and recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network.From the Wikipedia article “Mount San Jacinto State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount San Jacinto State Park 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 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 118° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Mount San Jacinto State Park, 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 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:36 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 4:08 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:19 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:37 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.13 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (41%). 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 | 84 | 90 | 94 | 100 | 109 | 117 | 118 | 115 | 115 | 104 | 92 | 82 |
| Low °F | 26 | 28 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
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 Mount San Jacinto State Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
National Forest
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
CanyonWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dark Canyon Campground 6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Marion Mountain6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Fern Basin6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain (San Bernardino)7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Basin8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount San Jacinto State Park?
What time is golden hour at Mount San Jacinto State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount San Jacinto State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount San Jacinto State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount San Jacinto State Park?
How far is Mount San Jacinto State Park from Idyllwild?
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.