Located in Sacramento County, California, Delta Meadows Park Property is a state park. It sits roughly 2.0 km (1.2 mi) NNE of Walnut Grove.
Delta Meadows River Park (DMRP) is a state park property of California, United States, preserving an undeveloped piece of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. At present it is open to the public for walking, fishing and boating but has no visitor services. The park encompasses sloughs, wet meadows, and an island between the Sacramento and Mokelumne Rivers. It is located near the historic Chinese American town of Locke, 28 miles (45 km) equidistant from Sacramento and Stockton. The 472-acre (191 ha) property was established in 1985. Delta Meadows preserves a river delta much as it appeared 150 years ago, crowded with stands of oak, tule, walnut, willow, and cottonwood. Abundant wildlife includes black-tailed deer, beavers, river otters, muskrats, and wetland birds such as great blue herons, wood ducks, mallards, belted kingfishers, and cormorants.From the Wikipedia article “Delta Meadows River Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Delta Meadows Park Property 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 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Delta Meadows Park Property, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 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 | 5:04 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.04 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 77 | 77 | 83 | 93 | 107 | 112 | 116 | 112 | 115 | 107 | 87 | 76 |
| Low °F | 24 | 26 | 29 | 33 | 38 | 45 | 51 | 52 | 47 | 40 | 26 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 4.5 |
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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- 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 Delta Meadows Park Property, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Delta Meadows Park Property?
What time is golden hour at Delta Meadows Park Property?
Where does the sun rise and set at Delta Meadows Park Property?
Can you see the Milky Way from Delta Meadows Park Property?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Delta Meadows Park Property?
How far is Delta Meadows Park Property from Walnut Grove?
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.