Rockport State Park — a dark sky place in Summit County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Silver Summit, about 8.6 km (5.3 mi) away (Rockport State Park lies ENE of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Wikidata describes it as: “state park in Summit County, Utah, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rockport State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 58° ENE | 9:01 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 121° ESE | 5:02 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Rockport State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:54 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 3:46 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 50 | 56 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 79 | 65 | 49 |
| Low °F | -23 | -28 | -14 | -6 | 8 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 1 | -17 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Rockport State Park, closest first.
State Park
Botanical Garden
Canyon
Dark Sky Place
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Yellow Pine Campground (Ut)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Redman Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Smith And Morehouse24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Ledgefork Guard Station25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Ledgefork25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rockport State Park?
What time is golden hour at Rockport State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rockport State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rockport State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rockport State Park?
How far is Rockport State Park from Silver Summit?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via Wikidata). 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.