Located in San Bernardino County, California, Cucamonga Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is San Antonio Heights, about 11.5 km (7.1 mi) away (Cucamonga Wilderness lies NE of town).
The Cucamonga Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The 12,781 acres (5,172 ha) wilderness is managed by the United States Forest Service in Angeles National Forest and San Bernardino National Forest Elevations range from about 5,000 to 9,000 feet (1,500 to 2,700 m).From the Wikipedia article “Cucamonga Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cucamonga Wilderness 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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 61° ENE | 8:06 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 118° ESE | 4:45 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 53m |
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 Cucamonga Wilderness, 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 6 (bright suburban 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 | 4:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:42 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:20 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:23 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:20 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.26 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (44%). 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 | 77 | 82 | 87 | 93 | 103 | 110 | 111 | 109 | 109 | 98 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 40 | 33 | 24 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
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 wilderness area
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Cucamonga Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
CanyonWaterfallCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Applewhite Campground (Ca)8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Applewhite Campground8.1 km (5.0 mi)
- Table Mountain (Angeles)19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Appletree Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Peavine Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cucamonga Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cucamonga Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cucamonga Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cucamonga Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cucamonga Wilderness?
How far is Cucamonga Wilderness from San Antonio Heights?
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.