Caswell Memorial State Park — a state park in San Joaquin County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ripon, about 7.8 km (4.8 mi) away (Caswell Memorial State Park lies SW of town).
Caswell Memorial State Park is a state park of California, United States, preserving a riparian forest along the Stanislaus River. It is located in southern San Joaquin County southwest of the town of Ripon. Riparian Oak Woodland, located in this park, is threatened and the park is trying to protect it. It once flourished through California's Central Valley. Caswell is also the home to several endangered species. The 258-acre (104 ha) park was established in 1952. The average temperature is 45–50 °F (7–10 °C) in the winter and 85–100 °F (29–38 °C) in the summer. It is common to exceed 100 °F (38 °C) for several consecutive days in the summer. Caswell is home to many mosquitoes. This park is named after the landowner, Thomas Caswell. In the 1950s, 134 acres (54 ha) of this forest were donated by his children and grandchildren to California before it was opened to the public as a state...From the Wikipedia article “Caswell Memorial State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Caswell Memorial State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:30 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 34m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Caswell Memorial State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:17 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.73 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 74 | 77 | 85 | 95 | 108 | 110 | 116 | 113 | 114 | 103 | 89 | 71 |
| Low °F | 22 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 39 | 43 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 3.6 |
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
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Caswell Memorial State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
CanyonCanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Caswell Memorial State Park?
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How far is Caswell Memorial State Park from Ripon?
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.