Highline Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in King County, Washington. The nearest town is Riverton, about 800 m away (Highline Botanical Garden lies SW of town).
Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden is a 10.5-acre (4.2 ha) community botanical garden located at 13735 24th Avenue South, SeaTac, Washington and is open daily without charge. The garden started as the private plantings by Elda and Ray Behm on a 1-acre (4,000 m2) site. Their property was slated for demolition in the mid-1990s for the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's proposed third runway. In 1999 an agreement was reached to relocate their existing plantings onto vacant land to form a new botanical garden adjacent to the North SeaTac Community Center.Starting in 2000, about 85 to 90% of the plants were transplanted by some 200 volunteers to form the garden's initial 2 acres (8,100 m2). The Paradise Garden features a 120-foot (37 m) stream which empties into a 7,000 gallon pond, a rustic log pergola, and an astounding assortment of trees, shrubs and perennials. Peak of blooming...From the Wikipedia article “Highline Botanical Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Highline 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) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 53° NE | 9:11 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 125° SE | 4:21 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 3:56 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Highline 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 ≈ 18.15 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Highline Botanical Garden, closest first.
Ghost Town
Lake
Lake
Ghost Town
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeFAQ
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How far is Highline Botanical Garden from Riverton?
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.