Located in Erie County, Pennsylvania, Lake Erie Arboretum is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Erie, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Lake Erie Arboretum lies WSW of town).
Lake Erie Arboretum is a young arboretum located within Frontier Park, at the intersection of West 8th Street and Bayfront Parkway, Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. It is open to the public daily free of charge. The arboretum was proposed in 1997 and the first tree was planted there in 1998. It now contains over 300 young trees representing some 225 tree varieties. New trees are still being added. Some of the tree specimens represented in the arboretum include alder, catalpa, dogwood, douglas-fir, ginkgo, hawthorn, shagbark hickory, linden, honey locust, maple, scarlet oak, Russian olive, tulip-tree, black walnut, and corkscrew willow.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Erie Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Erie Arboretum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 57° ENE | 9:01 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 122° ESE | 4:52 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 08m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Lake Erie Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:52 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 3:30 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 18.53 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (85%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 51 | 52 | 68 | 67 | 77 | 84 | 86 | 85 | 83 | 79 | 66 | 57 |
| Low °F | -4 | -10 | 0 | 21 | 33 | 42 | 52 | 57 | 44 | 35 | 22 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
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
- 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.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lake Erie Arboretum, closest first.
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Erie Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Lake Erie Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Erie Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Erie Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Erie Arboretum?
How far is Lake Erie Arboretum from Erie?
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.