Located in Union County, Arkansas, South Arkansas Arboretum is a botanical garden at about 67 m (220 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is El Dorado, about 2.1 km (1.3 mi) away (South Arkansas Arboretum lies NW of town).
The South Arkansas Arboretum is an arboretum and botanical garden owned by the local school system but operated as Arkansas's 50th state park by the South Arkansas College. It is located next to the former El Dorado High School in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA and open daily except for holidays. The 3-acre (1.2 ha) arboretum features plants indigenous to the Piney Woods region, plus flowering azaleas and camellias. Signs identify many of the trees, including shortleaf and loblolly pines, southern and sweet bay magnolias, black gum, white ash, American sycamore, Carolina beech, American holly, black cherry, sugar maple, and oak species such as water, post, southern red, white and overcup. Opened in 1965, the arboretum is Arkansas's only state park located within a city. It includes more than two miles (3 km) of paved trails.From the Wikipedia article “South Arkansas Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At South Arkansas Arboretum 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 61° ENE | 8:24 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 118° ESE | 5:08 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 South Arkansas Arboretum, 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 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 5:52 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 5:09 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:30 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:05 PM – 4:15 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:48 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:43 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.8 | 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: 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 ≈ 19.44 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 76 | 80 | 88 | 93 | 104 | 109 | 110 | 114 | 108 | 102 | 88 | 80 |
| Low °F | 11 | 19 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 55 | 58 | 54 | 45 | 31 | 19 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.7 | 5.4 |
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 botanical garden
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph South Arkansas Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at South Arkansas Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at South Arkansas Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from South Arkansas Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at South Arkansas Arboretum?
How far is South Arkansas Arboretum from El Dorado?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.