Located in Washington County, Rhode Island, Wilcox Park is a botanical garden.
Wilcox Park (14 acres (5.7 ha)) is a park and arboretum located at 44 High Street, Westerly, Rhode Island. It is open to the public from dawn to 9 pm, without fee, and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973 as Wilcox Park Historic District. The historic district includes 84 houses/buildings of the neighborhood surrounding the park covering a 50-acre (20 ha) area, including the main post office and library within the town of Westerly.From the Wikipedia article “Wilcox Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wilcox Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 121° ESE | 4:22 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Wilcox Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:25 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 1:33 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 9:33 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 7:40 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| 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: 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 ≈ 19.1 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 58 | 54 | 67 | 82 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 65 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 9 | 24 | 36 | 44 | 54 | 55 | 47 | 31 | 17 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
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 Wilcox Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lake
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseLighthouse
State ParkLake
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wilcox Park?
What time is golden hour at Wilcox Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wilcox Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wilcox Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wilcox Park?
How far is Wilcox Park from Westerly?
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.