John A. Finch Arboretum — a botanical garden in Spokane County, Washington at about 632 m (2,073 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.5 km (2.2 mi) SW of Spokane.
John A. Finch Arboretum 56.65 acres (22.93 ha) is a public arboretum located at West 3404 Woodland Boulevard, Spokane, Washington, United States in the West Hills neighborhood. It is open daily without charge. Dogs are not allowed at the arboretum. The arboretum was established in 1949 after the last living executor of the John A. Finch estate released $250,000 for the purpose. The landscape follows Garden Springs Creek, and now contains about 2,000 trees and shrubs, including 65 groups of lilacs, as well as a rhododendron grove, conifer and maple collections, and a nature trail. The arboretum lies in a small valley running southwest-to-northeast carved by the creek. I-90 and the Sunset Highway, which use the valley to descend into Spokane from the higher elevation of the Columbia Plateau, respectively form the southern and northern borders of the park. The arboretum is home to the...From the Wikipedia article “John A. Finch Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At John A. Finch Arboretum 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 308° (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) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:53 AM | 53° NE | 8:52 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 125° SE | 4:01 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 | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:36 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:12 AM | 4:52 AM | 5:40 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 4:29 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:07 PM | 3:59 PM | 4:35 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 John A. Finch Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:25 AM – 3:55 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:26 AM – 2:46 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:00 AM – 1:40 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:29 PM – 12:39 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 10:39 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: 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 ≈ 18.63 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). July 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 | 53 | 56 | 69 | 82 | 90 | 102 | 100 | 101 | 96 | 84 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -19 | -12 | -7 | 23 | 26 | 35 | 42 | 43 | 29 | 11 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
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
- 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.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 John A. Finch Arboretum, closest first.
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallFAQ
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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.