Located in Cleveland County, Arkansas, Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 15.0 km (9.3 mi) ESE of Fordyce. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Marks' Mills Battleground State Park is an Arkansas State Park located at the junction of Arkansas Highway 8 and Arkansas Highway 97, north of New Edinburg, Arkansas. It preserves a portion of the battlefield of the Battle of Marks' Mills fought on April 25, 1864, in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of American Civil War. The battle was part of the Camden Expedition. The park is one of nine historic sites that make up the Camden Expedition Sites, a National Historic Landmark District. The battle was most known for the slaughter of black Union soldiers that were murdered as they tried to surrender.From the Wikipedia article “Marks' Mills Battleground State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marks’ Mills Battleground 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 61° ENE | 8:24 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 118° ESE | 5:05 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Marks’ Mills Battleground 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 | 4:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:58 AM – 5:08 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:30 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 4:06 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:02 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:48 AM | 3.3 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:41 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:39 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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 October 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 | 76 | 80 | 88 | 93 | 104 | 109 | 110 | 114 | 108 | 102 | 88 | 80 |
| Low °F | 11 | 19 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 55 | 58 | 54 | 45 | 31 | 19 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.7 | 5.4 |
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
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park?
What time is golden hour at Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park?
How far is Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park from Fordyce?
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.