Gerstle Cove, Salt Point State Park, Sonoma County, CA
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38.5736° N123.3260° WBortle 3Los Angeles

Salt Point State Park Photography Guide

State Park in Sonoma County, California

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 240°–302°
  • Clearest: June
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: Kglavin · CC BY 2.5 · source

Located in Sonoma County, California, Salt Point State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 19.3 km (12.0 mi) SE of Sea Ranch.

Salt Point State Park is a state park in Sonoma County, California, United States. The park covers 6,000 acres (2,428 ha) on the coast of Northern California, with 20 miles (32 km) of hiking trails and over 6 miles (9.7 km) of a rough rocky coastline including Salt Point which protrudes into the Pacific Ocean. The park also features the first underwater preserves in California. The constant impact of the waves forms the rocks into many different shapes. These rocks continue underwater providing a wide variety of habitats for marine organisms. The activities at Salt Point include hiking, camping, fishing, scuba diving and many others. The weather is often cool with fog and cold winds, even during the summer. The rocks of Salt Point are sedimentary sandstone. Due to the large amounts of sandstone, small cave-like features called tafoni can be found along the shore of Salt Point.From the Wikipedia article “Salt Point State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Sea Ranch
19.3 km (12.0 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
June
45% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
5.2 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:00 PM
sunset 6:36 PM

Light at Salt Point State Park

Live
Sunrise
7:28 AM
Sunset
6:29 PM
Golden hour AM
7:11 AM – 8:04 AM
Golden hour PM
5:53 PM – 6:46 PM
Blue hour AM
7:01 AM – 7:11 AM
Blue hour PM
6:46 PM – 6:56 PM
Full darkness
7:58 PM – 6:00 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:42 PM / 1:39 AM
Day length
11h 01m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Salt Point State 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:18 AM90° E7:26 PM271° W51°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:50 AM59° ENE8:42 PM302° WNW75°14h 52m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:02 AM89° E7:12 PM271° W52°12h 10m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:28 AM120° ESE4:56 PM240° WSW28°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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:01 AM7:30 AM8:11 AM4:36 PM5:17 PM5:46 PM9h 46m
February6:38 AM7:05 AM7:42 AM5:15 PM5:52 PM6:19 PM10h 47m
March6:59 AM7:25 AM8:00 AM6:46 PM7:21 PM7:47 PM11h 55m
April6:10 AM6:38 AM7:13 AM7:14 PM7:50 PM8:18 PM13h 12m
May5:33 AM6:02 AM6:40 AM7:41 PM8:19 PM8:49 PM14h 16m
June5:17 AM5:49 AM6:29 AM8:00 PM8:40 PM9:12 PM14h 51m
July5:31 AM6:02 AM6:41 AM7:59 PM8:38 PM9:09 PM14h 36m
August6:00 AM6:28 AM7:05 AM7:33 PM8:09 PM8:37 PM13h 41m
September6:29 AM6:56 AM7:31 AM6:48 PM7:23 PM7:50 PM12h 27m
October6:56 AM7:23 AM7:59 AM6:00 PM6:36 PM7:03 PM11h 13m
November6:28 AM6:56 AM7:35 AM4:22 PM5:02 PM5:30 PM10h 05m
December6:55 AM7:25 AM8:06 AM4:12 PM4:54 PM5:24 PM9h 29m

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 Salt Point State 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.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
February5:10 AM – 5:30 AM0.313°SE → SE
March4:29 AM – 5:49 AM1.319°SE → SSE
April2:24 AM – 4:54 AM2.522°SE → S
May12:25 AM – 4:05 AM3.723°SE → S
June10:37 PM – 3:47 AM5.223°SE → SSW
July10:30 PM – 2:20 AM3.823°SSE → SW
August9:47 PM – 12:17 AM2.522°S → SW
September8:53 PM – 10:23 PM1.519°SSW → SW
October8:04 PM – 8:24 PM0.313°SW → SW
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—0°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 21.42 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F636362717673657074766662
Low °F414342454649505353514543
Precip. (in)6.36.75.12.81.20.40.10.00.21.94.28.6

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 Salt Point State Park, closest first.

Fort Ross State Historic ParkState Park
Fort Ross State Historic Park9.8 km away · Sonoma County
Natural Arch
White Cap Arch21 km away · Sonoma County
Goat Rock BeachBeach
Goat Rock Beach22 km away · Sonoma County
Natural Arch
Arched Rock23 km away · Sonoma County
Austin Creek State Recreation AreaState Park
Austin Creek State Recreation Area24 km away · Sonoma County
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural ReserveState Park
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve28 km away · Sonoma County
Sonoma Coast State ParkState Park
Sonoma Coast State Park32 km away · Sonoma County
Natural Arch
Fish Rocks Arch34 km away · Mendocino County
Bodega HeadMountain Peak
Bodega Head37 km away · Sonoma County · 77 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Salt Point State Park?
June has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
What time is golden hour at Salt Point State Park?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:00 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:36 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 7:59 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Salt Point State Park?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 59° in June to 120° in December; sunset ranges from 302° to 240°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Salt Point State Park?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Salt Point State Park?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Salt Point State Park from Sea Ranch?
About 19.3 km (12.0 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.