Salton Sea State Recreation Area is a state park in Riverside County, California. The nearest town is Desert Shores, about 16.0 km (9.9 mi) away (Salton Sea State Recreation Area lies ENE of town).
The Salton Sea State Recreation Area offers hunting, fishing, swimming, and camping to visitors on the northeastern side of the Salton Sea.From the Wikipedia article “Salton Sea State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Salton Sea 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 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 61° ENE | 7:57 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:45 AM | 118° ESE | 4:40 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:54 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Salton Sea State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:24 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:39 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:35 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:02 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:16 PM – 10:16 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:14 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.24 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 December as the cloudiest (39%). 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 | 86 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 110 | 118 | 120 | 115 | 116 | 104 | 92 | 81 |
| Low °F | 27 | 27 | 34 | 38 | 46 | 51 | 62 | 60 | 52 | 42 | 32 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Salton Sea State Recreation Area, closest first.
Lake
Volcano
National Wildlife Refuge
Canyon
Rock FormationFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Salton Sea State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Salton Sea State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Salton Sea State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Salton Sea State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Salton Sea State Recreation Area?
How far is Salton Sea State Recreation Area from Desert Shores?
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.