Sinkyone Wilderness State Park — a state park in Mendocino County, California — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) SSW of Redway.
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park is a state park in Mendocino County, California. The wilderness area borders the Pacific Ocean to the west and the King Range National Conservation Area to the north. The nearest settlement is the unincorporated town of Leggett. The lack of major road and highway access has led to the Sinkyone Wilderness area being referred to as the Lost Coast.From the Wikipedia article “Sinkyone Wilderness State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sinkyone Wilderness State 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 58° ENE | 8:49 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 121° ESE | 4:55 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). August 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 | 71 | 73 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 88 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 85 | 75 | 67 |
| Low °F | 34 | 35 | 34 | 36 | 39 | 45 | 49 | 49 | 45 | 41 | 35 | 34 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 5.3 | 10.2 |
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 Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural Arch
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallNatural Arch
Wilderness AreaNatural Arch
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sinkyone Wilderness State Park?
What time is golden hour at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sinkyone Wilderness State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park?
How far is Sinkyone Wilderness State Park from Redway?
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.