Oracle State Park — a dark sky place in Pinal County, Arizona — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is San Manuel, about 5.0 km (3.1 mi) away (Oracle State Park lies E of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Oracle State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, preserving 3,948 acres (1,598 ha) in the northeastern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is named after the nearby town of Oracle and serves as a wildlife refuge. The park has more than 15 miles (24 km) of hiking trails, including 7 miles (11 km) of the Arizona Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Oracle State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Oracle State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 61° ENE | 7:34 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:20 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 118° ESE | 5:21 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 00m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:09 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 5:42 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:39 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:02 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 01m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Oracle State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:58 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 10:58 PM – 3:48 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:13 PM – 3:33 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:09 PM – 1:59 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:37 PM – 11:57 PM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:52 PM – 10:02 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:12 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.04 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 76 | 83 | 90 | 97 | 106 | 111 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 77 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 32 | 38 | 49 | 64 | 61 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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 dark sky place
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Oracle State Park, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Canyon
Cave
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Wilderness AreaScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Peppersauce14.1 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Sollers Cabin (Az)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Rose Canyon24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Showers Point Group Site24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Oracle State Park?
What time is golden hour at Oracle State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Oracle State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Oracle State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Oracle State Park?
How far is Oracle State Park from San Manuel?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via 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.