Pisgah Crater — a volcano in San Bernardino County, California at about 753 m (2,470 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 62 km (38 mi) ESE of Barstow.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pisgah Crater 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 300° (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) | 6:50 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 61° ENE | 8:03 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 118° ESE | 4:39 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Pisgah Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:24 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:37 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:41 PM – 4:01 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:16 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.36 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 14% 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 | 81 | 85 | 91 | 99 | 108 | 114 | 114 | 113 | 112 | 100 | 88 | 79 |
| Low °F | 22 | 23 | 28 | 33 | 39 | 48 | 59 | 55 | 47 | 32 | 26 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 |
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 volcano
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pisgah Crater, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pisgah Crater?
What time is golden hour at Pisgah Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pisgah Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pisgah Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pisgah Crater?
How far is Pisgah Crater from Barstow?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.