Located in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska, Wood-Tikchik State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 202 km (126 mi) SE of Bethel.
Wood-Tikchik State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Alaska north of Dillingham. Over 1,600,000 acres (650,000 ha) (6,500 km2) in area—about the size of the state of Delaware—, comprising more than half of all state park land in Alaska and 15% of the total state park land in the country. Despite being the largest state park in the nation, the park had no staff whatsoever for its first five years, and even now at times only a single ranger is in charge of patrolling the entire park, usually by aircraft.From the Wikipedia article “Wood-Tikchik State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wood-Tikchik 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 325° (NW) in June to 220° (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) | 8:37 AM | 89° E | 8:50 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 36° NE | 12:01 AM | 325° NW | 54° | 18h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:20 AM | 88° E | 8:37 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:36 AM | 140° SE | 4:32 PM | 220° SW | 7° | 5h 57m |
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 | 9:29 AM | 10:21 AM | 11:53 AM | 3:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 6:01 PM | 6h 48m |
| February | 8:29 AM | 9:13 AM | 10:16 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:27 PM | 7:11 PM | 9h 15m |
| March | 8:11 AM | 8:52 AM | 9:47 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:19 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:15 AM | 8:56 PM | 9:52 PM | 10:38 PM | 14h 33m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:06 AM | 9:59 PM | 11:05 PM | 12:08 AM | 17h 06m |
| June | 3:37 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:33 AM | 10:40 PM | 11:58 PM | 1:36 AM | 18h 43m |
| July | 4:26 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:54 AM | 10:29 PM | 11:41 PM | 12:57 AM | 17h 59m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:51 AM | 9:29 PM | 10:29 PM | 11:20 PM | 15h 37m |
| September | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:59 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:40 PM | 12h 53m |
| October | 8:33 AM | 9:15 AM | 10:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 10h 13m |
| November | 8:44 AM | 9:33 AM | 10:51 AM | 3:50 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:57 PM | 7h 36m |
| December | 9:34 AM | 10:31 AM | 12:29 PM | 2:33 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:28 PM | 6h 00m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.5+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and July 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 | 36 | 36 | 42 | 55 | 74 | 81 | 88 | 80 | 72 | 55 | 46 | 37 |
| Low °F | -38 | -39 | -32 | -20 | 3 | 31 | 38 | 34 | 25 | -12 | -25 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
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 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 Wood-Tikchik State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wood-Tikchik State Park?
What time is golden hour at Wood-Tikchik State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wood-Tikchik State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wood-Tikchik State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wood-Tikchik State Park?
How far is Wood-Tikchik State Park from Bethel?
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.