Located in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, Chena River State Recreation Area is a state park. It sits roughly 44 km (28 mi) NE of Eielson Air Force Base.
Chena River State Recreation Area is a 254,080-acre (1,028.2 km2) state park in the U.S. state of Alaska, located east of Fairbanks. The recreation area is centered on the Chena River. Facilities include campgrounds, hiking, ATV, snowmachine and sled dog trails, a shooting range, fishing ponds, and several public-use cabins. Fishing for Arctic grayling is catch-and-release only in the river, but visitors may keep grayling caught in the three stocked ponds. The area is also noted for several concentrations of granite tors. The road through the recreation area ends at the privately owned and operated Chena Hot Springs resort.From the Wikipedia article “Chena River State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chena River State Recreation Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 14° (NNE) at the June solstice and 155° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 346° (NNW) in June to 205° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 49° in summer but only 2° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 89° E | 8:01 PM | 272° W | 25° | 12h 15m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 2:50 AM | 14° NNE | 12:46 AM | 346° NNW | 49° | 21h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 88° E | 7:49 PM | 273° W | 25° | 12h 20m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:55 AM | 155° SSE | 2:33 PM | 205° SSW | 2° | 3h 38m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:11 AM | 10:23 AM | — | — | 3:28 PM | 4:39 PM | 5h 05m |
| February | 7:52 AM | 8:45 AM | 10:08 AM | 3:53 PM | 5:15 PM | 6:09 PM | 8h 30m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 8:05 AM | 9:10 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:34 PM | 11h 41m |
| April | 5:12 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:22 PM | 10:20 PM | 15h 12m |
| May | 2:09 AM | 4:22 AM | 5:50 AM | 9:35 PM | 11:04 PM | 1:16 AM | 18h 42m |
| June | — | 2:53 AM | 5:04 AM | 10:30 PM | 12:40 AM | — | 21h 47m |
| July | — | 3:46 AM | 5:31 AM | 10:13 PM | 11:57 PM | — | 20h 11m |
| August | 4:24 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:55 PM | 10:09 PM | 11:18 PM | 16h 36m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:10 PM | 8:14 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 06m |
| October | 7:49 AM | 8:39 AM | 9:51 AM | 5:12 PM | 6:25 PM | 7:15 PM | 9h 46m |
| November | 8:20 AM | 9:22 AM | 11:41 AM | 1:20 PM | 3:39 PM | 4:42 PM | 6h 17m |
| December | 9:24 AM | 10:49 AM | — | — | 2:34 PM | 3:59 PM | 3h 45m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 35 | 35 | 44 | 60 | 79 | 83 | 82 | 81 | 67 | 60 | 35 | 36 |
| Low °F | -44 | -39 | -42 | -18 | 8 | 26 | 37 | 30 | 16 | -16 | -32 | -38 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
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 state park
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Chena River State Recreation Area, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chena River State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Chena River State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chena River State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chena River State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chena River State Recreation Area?
How far is Chena River State Recreation Area from Eielson Air Force Base?
Sources
Location data: 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.