Alamo Lake State Park is a state park in La Paz County, Arizona. It sits roughly 50 km (31 mi) N of Salome.
Alamo Lake State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, centered on Alamo Lake, a flood control and recreational reservoir. The park is located in western Arizona about 38 miles (61 km) north of Wenden. It is accessed via a paved two-lane road off either U.S. Route 60 to the south or U.S. Route 93 to the east. Owing to its remoteness, the park is often considered one of the "best kept secrets" of the state park system. Alamo Lake State Park features camping facilities and attracts wildlife enthusiasts, as the park is home to numerous wildlife species including the bald eagle. The park's remoteness and distance from cities also makes it a destination for stargazing, as it is the darkest sky state park in Arizona.From the Wikipedia article “Alamo Lake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alamo Lake State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 61° ENE | 7:50 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 118° ESE | 5:29 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Alamo Lake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:26 AM – 5:16 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:27 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:29 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:54 PM – 12:04 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:07 PM – 10:07 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:24 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 16% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (43%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 84 | 84 | 95 | 100 | 108 | 118 | 117 | 115 | 112 | 104 | 92 | 80 |
| Low °F | 22 | 20 | 30 | 33 | 43 | 53 | 65 | 63 | 50 | 36 | 25 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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 Alamo Lake State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Wilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alamo Lake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Alamo Lake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alamo Lake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alamo Lake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alamo Lake State Park?
How far is Alamo Lake State Park from Salome?
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.