Located in Humboldt County, California, Fort Humboldt State Historic Park is a state park. The nearest town is Bayview, about 600 m away (Fort Humboldt State Historic Park lies NW of town).
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park is a California state park, located in Eureka, California, United States. Its displays interpret the former U.S. Army fort, which was staffed from 1853 to 1870, the interactions between European Americans and Native Americans in roughly the same period, logging equipment and local narrow gauge railroad history of the region. Within the collection, there are trains, logging equipment, including a fully functional Steam Donkey engine, and an authentic Native American dug-out canoe. The Fort overlooks Humboldt Bay from atop a bluff. The North Coast regional headquarters of the California State Parks system is located onsite.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Humboldt State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Humboldt State Historic Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 58° ENE | 8:52 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 121° ESE | 4:53 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Fort Humboldt State Historic Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.19 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 61% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 76 | 75 | 88 | 79 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | 35 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 47 | 49 | 51 | 48 | 44 | 39 | 35 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 5.6 | 10.8 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Fort Humboldt State Historic Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Sand Dunes
State Park
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Humboldt State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Fort Humboldt State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Humboldt State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Humboldt State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Humboldt State Historic Park?
How far is Fort Humboldt State Historic Park from Bayview?
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.