Portola Redwoods State Park — a state park in Santa Clara County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 13.5 km (8.4 mi) SW of Loyola.
Portola Redwoods State Park is a 2,800 acres (1,100 ha) state park in California situated in San Mateo County. The parks' primary watercourses — Peters Creek, Pescadero Creek and their associated tributaries — converge at Portola Redwoods State Park. Tip Toe Falls is a small waterfall along Fall Creek, a tributary of Pescadero Creek. The indigenous Quiroste people, affiliated with the broader constellation of Ramaytush Ohlone communities based in the San Francisco Peninsula, were among the original inhabitants of Portola Redwoods State Park, where they obtained various species of fish, such as coho salmon and steelhead trout, along the waterways that wend along the region, and harvested asphaltum from Tar Creek. In addition, the Quiroste maintained trading networks with tribes further inland and exchanged a variety of coastal products, including beads cultivated from Olivella sea...From the Wikipedia article “Portola Redwoods State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Portola Redwoods State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Portola Redwoods State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:29 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:29 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:26 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.3 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (59%). September is the warmest month and January 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 | 67 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 88 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 84 | 78 | 65 |
| Low °F | 36 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 47 | 39 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 4.4 |
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 Portola Redwoods State Park, closest first.
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State ParkWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Portola Redwoods State Park?
What time is golden hour at Portola Redwoods State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Portola Redwoods State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Portola Redwoods State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Portola Redwoods State Park?
How far is Portola Redwoods State Park from Loyola?
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.