Bellevue Botanical Garden — a botanical garden in King County, Washington at about 72 m (236 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Wilburton, about 700 m away (Bellevue Botanical Garden lies NNE of town).
Bellevue Botanical Garden is a botanical garden east of downtown Bellevue, Washington on Main Street. Established in 1992, many different organizations work to maintain the garden to keep it free of charge. What began as a 7-acre gift to the city in the early 1980s has now become a 53-acre public park with multiple gardens. This includes the Fuchsia Garden, Lost Meadow Trail, Native Discovery Garden, Perennial Border, Rhododendron Glen, The Urban Meadow, Waterwise Garden, Yao Garden, and Dahlia Display.From the Wikipedia article “Bellevue Botanical Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bellevue Botanical Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 53° NE | 9:11 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 125° SE | 4:20 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 25m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 27m |
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 Bellevue Botanical Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:23 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:13 AM – 2:03 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:44 PM – 1:04 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 10:56 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.14 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 64 | 63 | 71 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 100 | 91 | 91 | 79 | 71 | 60 |
| Low °F | 13 | 15 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 46 | 39 | 28 | 16 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.7 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 6.8 |
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 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.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bellevue Botanical Garden, closest first.
Lake
Lake
State Park
Lake
Lake
Botanical Garden
Lake
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bellevue Botanical Garden?
What time is golden hour at Bellevue Botanical Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bellevue Botanical Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bellevue Botanical Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bellevue Botanical Garden?
How far is Bellevue Botanical Garden from Wilburton?
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.