Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is a state park in Tulare County, California. It sits roughly 9.3 km (5.8 mi) ESE of Alpaugh. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is a state park unit of California, United States, preserving Allensworth, the only California town to be founded, financed and governed by African Americans. The small farming community was founded in 1908 by Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth, Professor William Payne, William Peck, a minister; John W. Palmer, a miner; and Harry A. Mitchell, a real estate agent, dedicated to improving the economic and social status of African Americans. Colonel Allensworth (1842–1914) had a friendship with Booker T. Washington and was inspired by the Tuskegee Institute and development in its neighboring town. Allensworth hoped to develop the "Tuskegee of the West". Uncontrollable circumstances, including a drop in the area's water table, resulted in the town's demise. Allensworth is now an unincorporated area in Tulare County. The park has a train station on...From the Wikipedia article “Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park 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 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 60° ENE | 8:18 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 119° ESE | 4:48 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 44m |
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 Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:05 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 83 | 87 | 97 | 102 | 111 | 113 | 117 | 117 | 116 | 105 | 95 | 84 |
| Low °F | 26 | 27 | 32 | 34 | 42 | 47 | 57 | 56 | 50 | 40 | 32 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park?
How far is Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park from Alpaugh?
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.