Cape Henlopen State Park is a state park in Sussex County, Delaware. The nearest town is Lewes, about 3.9 km (2.4 mi) away (Cape Henlopen State Park lies ESE of town).
Cape Henlopen State Park is a Delaware state park on 5,450 acres (2,210 ha) on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what has become the United States in 1682 with the declaration that Cape Henlopen would be for "the usage of the citizens of Lewes and Sussex County." Cape Henlopen State Park has a 24-hour and year-round fishing pier as well as campgrounds. The remainder of the park is only open from sunrise to sunset, and includes a bathhouse on the Atlantic Ocean, an area for surf-fishing, a disc golf course, and bicycle and walking paths. The beach at Herring Point is a popular surfing spot. The park is a stop on Delaware's Coastal Heritage Greenway.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Henlopen State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Henlopen State 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 302° (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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 120° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Cape Henlopen State Park, 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 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.3 | 12° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.67 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 72 | 74 | 78 | 88 | 92 | 99 | 103 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 78 | 74 |
| Low °F | 1 | 2 | 11 | 25 | 35 | 49 | 55 | 55 | 45 | 32 | 22 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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 Cape Henlopen State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
LighthouseBeach
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape Henlopen State Park?
What time is golden hour at Cape Henlopen State Park?
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Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Henlopen State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Henlopen State Park?
How far is Cape Henlopen State Park from Lewes?
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.