Kachemak Bay State Park — a state park in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Homer, about 23 km (14 mi) away (Kachemak Bay State Park lies ESE of town).
Kachemak Bay State Park and Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park is a 400,000-acre (1,600 km2) park in and around Kachemak Bay, Alaska, United States. Kachemak Bay State Park was the first legislatively designated state park in the Alaska State Parks system. Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park is the state's only legislatively designated wilderness park. No road accesses most areas of the park; visitors normally fly in or travel by boat from Homer.From the Wikipedia article “Kachemak Bay State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kachemak Bay State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 36° (NE) at the June solstice and 140° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 324° (NW) in June to 221° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:07 AM | 89° E | 8:19 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:47 AM | 36° NE | 11:28 PM | 324° NW | 54° | 18h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:50 AM | 88° E | 8:06 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:03 AM | 140° SE | 4:04 PM | 221° SW | 7° | 6h 01m |
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 | 8:58 AM | 9:49 AM | 11:19 AM | 3:10 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:32 PM | 6h 51m |
| February | 7:59 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:45 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:41 PM | 9h 16m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:16 AM | 7:13 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:07 PM | 14h 32m |
| May | 4:29 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:36 AM | 9:28 PM | 10:33 PM | 11:35 PM | 17h 03m |
| June | 3:14 AM | 4:47 AM | 6:04 AM | 10:08 PM | 11:25 PM | 12:59 AM | 18h 38m |
| July | 4:00 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:25 AM | 9:58 PM | 11:09 PM | 12:23 AM | 17h 55m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:58 PM | 10:48 PM | 15h 35m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:28 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:09 PM | 12h 53m |
| October | 8:02 AM | 8:44 AM | 9:42 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:40 PM | 10h 14m |
| November | 8:13 AM | 9:01 AM | 10:18 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:28 PM | 7h 39m |
| December | 9:03 AM | 9:59 AM | 11:52 AM | 2:09 PM | 4:03 PM | 4:59 PM | 6h 05m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 1.0+ 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 72% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 42 | 39 | 42 | 54 | 66 | 74 | 76 | 72 | 63 | 52 | 47 | 44 |
| Low °F | -4 | -2 | -4 | 10 | 19 | 36 | 41 | 41 | 32 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.7 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.9 |
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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Kachemak Bay State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
LighthouseWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointLighthouseWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kachemak Bay State Park?
What time is golden hour at Kachemak Bay State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kachemak Bay State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kachemak Bay State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kachemak Bay State Park?
How far is Kachemak Bay State Park from Homer?
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.