Located in Los Angeles County, California, Will Rogers State Historic Park is a state park. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) NE of Pacific Palisades. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Will Rogers State Historic Park is a California State Historic Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. The 186-acre (75 ha) park was established in 1944 to preserve the estate of American humorist Will Rogers, including his ranch and the surrounding countryside. The ranch house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The ranch house, main stables, and other side structures were destroyed in the 2025 Palisades Wildfire, although the original garage/visitor center, smaller outbuildings, and several dozen smaller art and personal artifacts were saved from the inferno.From the Wikipedia article “Will Rogers State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Will Rogers State Historic 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 33° 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 | 8:09 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 | 33° | 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 | 7:37 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 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 | 7:51 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 | 8:35 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 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 | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 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 Will Rogers State Historic 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 8 (city 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 | 4:32 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.11 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
- 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.
- 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 Will Rogers State Historic Park, closest first.
Canyon
State ParkState Park
Beach
State Park
Natural Arch
Natural Arch
Botanical Garden
Mountain PassFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Will Rogers State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Will Rogers State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Will Rogers State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Will Rogers State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Will Rogers State Historic Park?
How far is Will Rogers State Historic Park from Pacific Palisades?
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.