Topanga State Park is a state park in Los Angeles County, California. The nearest town is Topanga, about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) away (Topanga State Park lies E of town).
Topanga State Park ( ) is a California state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains, within Los Angeles County, California. It is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The park is located adjacent to the Topanga neighborhood of Los Angeles. Covering 11,000 acres (4,500 ha), with 36 miles (58 km) of trails and unimproved roads, the park's boundaries stretch from Topanga Canyon to Pacific Palisades and Mulholland Drive. There are more than 60 trail entrances. Topanga State Park is not only the largest park in the Santa Monica Mountains, but it is also considered the largest park located in the limits of a city.From the Wikipedia article “Topanga State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Topanga 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 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 61° ENE | 8:10 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 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 | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 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 Topanga 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:26 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.47 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
- 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 Topanga State Park, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Natural Arch
Natural ArchCanyon
Mountain Pass
State Park
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Topanga State Park?
What time is golden hour at Topanga State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Topanga State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Topanga State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Topanga State Park?
How far is Topanga State Park from Topanga?
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.