Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area — a state park in Benton County, Arkansas — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.7 km (7.9 mi) ESE of Prairie Creek.
Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area (formerly known as Beaver Lake State Park and Hobbs State Management Area) is a 12,056-acre (4,879 ha) Arkansas state park in Benton, Carroll, and Madison Counties, Arkansas in the United States. The park was bought in 1979 through a huge financial effort from Northwest Arkansas banks. Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area is located almost entirely in the Springfield Plateau subdivision of the Ozark Plateau. The park, located just south of Beaver Lake, is open for year-round recreation, including 32.9 miles (52.9 km) of hiking, mountain bike and equestrian trails. Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area also has several picnic areas, a shooting range, and primitive camping sites.From the Wikipedia article “Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 60° ENE | 8:37 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 119° ESE | 5:05 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 42m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:26 PM – 4:06 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.96 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 72 | 76 | 83 | 92 | 94 | 107 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 90 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -5 | 5 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 53 | 50 | 40 | 24 | 11 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area, closest first.
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Ghost TownGhost Town
CaveGhost Town
Cave
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rocky Branch Campground5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Bend (Beaver Lake)7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Hickory Creek Park (Ar)10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- War Eagle Campground10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Prairie Creek (Ar)12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area?
What time is golden hour at Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area?
How far is Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area from Prairie Creek?
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.