Henry W. Coe State Park is a state park in Santa Clara County, California. It sits roughly 11.6 km (7.2 mi) ENE of Morgan Hill.
Henry W. Coe State Park (often known simply as Henry Coe or Coe Park) is a state park of California, United States, preserving a vast tract of the Diablo Range. The park is located closest to the city of Morgan Hill, and is located in both Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties. The park contains over 87,000 acres (35,000 ha), making it the largest state park in northern California, and the second-largest in the state (after Anza-Borrego Desert State Park). Managed within its boundaries is a designated wilderness area of about 22,000 acres (8,900 ha). This is officially known as the Henry W. Coe State Wilderness, but locally as the Orestimba Wilderness. The 89,164-acre (36,083 ha) park was established in 1959.From the Wikipedia article “Henry W. Coe State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Henry W. Coe State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:30 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 119° ESE | 4:53 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Henry W. Coe State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:22 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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 ≈ 20.14 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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- 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 Henry W. Coe State Park, closest first.
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Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakFAQ
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Henry W. Coe State Park?
How far is Henry W. Coe State Park from Morgan Hill?
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.