Railtown 1897 State Historic Park — a state park in Tuolumne County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, and its operating entity, the Sierra Railway, is known as "The Movie Railroad." Both entities are a heritage railway and are a unit of the California State Park System. Railtown 1897 is located in Jamestown, California. The entire park preserves the historic core of the original Sierra Railway of California (later reincorporated as the Sierra Railroad). The railway's Jamestown locomotive and rolling stock maintenance facilities are remarkably intact and continue to function much as they have for over 100 years. The maintenance facilities are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Sierra Railway Shops Historic District.From the Wikipedia article “Railtown 1897 State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Railtown 1897 State Historic 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 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 59° ENE | 8:28 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:46 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Railtown 1897 State Historic 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 | 5:00 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:23 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:16 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:13 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 ≈ 20.26 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 76 | 79 | 88 | 97 | 110 | 113 | 119 | 115 | 115 | 105 | 87 | 75 |
| Low °F | 25 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 41 | 45 | 53 | 52 | 49 | 41 | 28 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.5 |
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
- 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 Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Natural Arch
Cave
Covered Bridge
Cave
Covered Bridge
Cave
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tuttletown Recreation Area8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Glory Hole Recreation Area12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Railtown 1897 State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Railtown 1897 State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park?
How far is Railtown 1897 State Historic Park from Jamestown?
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.