Castle Rocks State Park — a state park in Cassia County, Idaho — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 45 km (28 mi) SSE of Burley.
Castle Rocks State Park is a public recreation area encompassing 1,692 acres (685 ha) in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. The state park is located in Big Cove at the base of Cache Peak in the Albion Mountains. It is next to the Albion Division of Sawtooth National Forest and about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the border of City of Rocks National Reserve.From the Wikipedia article “Castle Rocks State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Rocks State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 57° ENE | 9:15 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 122° ESE | 5:07 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:43 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Castle Rocks State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:17 AM – 4:07 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:27 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 12:15 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:22 PM – 10:12 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 63 | 59 | 74 | 85 | 98 | 104 | 107 | 102 | 101 | 90 | 73 | 56 |
| Low °F | -19 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 22 | 31 | 43 | 43 | 29 | 11 | -12 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Castle Rocks State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Rock Formation
State ParkRock Formation
Natural ArchRock Formation
Hot Spring
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Smoky Mountain Campground7.1 km (4.4 mi)
- City Of Rocks Campground8.0 km (5.0 mi)
- Independence Lakes Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi)
- Lake Cleveland Campground - West Side20 km (13 mi)
- Twin Lakes Campground (Sawtooth)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Rocks State Park?
What time is golden hour at Castle Rocks State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Rocks State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Rocks State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Rocks State Park?
How far is Castle Rocks State Park from Burley?
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.