Cherry Springs State Park — a dark sky place in Potter County, Pennsylvania — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.0 km (10.6 mi) WSW of Galeton. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Cherry Springs State Park is an 82-acre (33 ha)[a] Pennsylvania state park in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The park was created from land within the Susquehannock State Forest, and is on Pennsylvania Route 44 in West Branch Township. Cherry Springs, named for a large stand of Black Cherry trees in the park, is atop the dissected Allegheny Plateau at an elevation of 2,300 feet (701 m). It is popular with astronomers and stargazers for having "some of the darkest night skies on the east coast" of the United States, and was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and its Bureau of Parks as one of "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks".From the Wikipedia article “Cherry Springs State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cherry Springs State 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) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 57° ENE | 8:50 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Cherry Springs State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:59 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.77 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 July as the clearest month (about 57% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). July 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 | 61 | 68 | 74 | 82 | 95 | 91 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 72 | 66 |
| Low °F | -11 | -14 | -5 | 16 | 24 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 21 | 0 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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 NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Cherry Springs State Park, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cherry Springs State Park?
What time is golden hour at Cherry Springs State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cherry Springs State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cherry Springs State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cherry Springs State Park?
How far is Cherry Springs State Park from Galeton?
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.