Fort Larned National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Kansas. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Fort Larned the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:53 AM | 8:33 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:41 PM | 244° | 9h 48m |
| February | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:16 PM | 255° | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:49 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 268° | 11h 55m |
| April | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 283° | 13h 11m |
| May | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:41 PM | 295° | 14h 14m |
| June | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:02 PM | 301° | 14h 48m |
| July | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:00 PM | 299° | 14h 34m |
| August | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 289° | 13h 39m |
| September | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 275° | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:00 PM | 260° | 11h 14m |
| November | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 247° | 10h 07m |
| December | 7:47 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:19 PM | 241° | 9h 32m |
Computed for the park's reference point (38.1805, -99.2184); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Fort Larned, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:42 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.5 | 19° |
| April | 2:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:47 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:59 PM – 4:09 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 9:16 PM – 10:46 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:28 PM – 8:48 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
2 Estimated Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars.
Weather & best time to visit
Central Kansas has a four-season climate. Winter tends to be cold and dry, with average daytime highs below 40F (4C). Foehn winds blowing across the Great Plains from the Southwest periodically raise temperatures above 80F (27C). Unsettled warmer air, higher winds, and severe weather arrive in the spring and often last through early July. Late summer days hover above 90F (32C) and readings over 100F (38C) are not uncommon. Fall is variable but generally milder with showers changing to snow and ice later.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Getting there
Fort Larned National Historic Site is located on KS Hwy 156, six miles west of Larned, Kansas.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Living History
- Historic Weapons Demonstration
- Junior Ranger Program
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
