Heyburn State Park — a state park in Benewah County, Idaho — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.8 km (6.1 mi) ENE of Plummer.
Heyburn State Park is a public recreation area in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is located almost entirely in Benewah County, with a small portion extending into southern Kootenai County. The park was founded in 1908 and is the oldest state or provincial park in the Pacific Northwest. The park has 5,744 acres (2,325 ha) of land and 2,332 acres (944 ha) of water on three lakes: Benewah, Chatcolet, and Hidden. A dam constructed on the Spokane River in Post Falls in 1906 raised the level of Lake Coeur d'Alene, connecting it to the park's three lakes. The surface elevation of the lakes is 2,125 feet (648 m) above sea level. The park's year-round recreational opportunities include camping, boating, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and picnicking.From the Wikipedia article “Heyburn State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Heyburn State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:51 AM | 53° NE | 8:48 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 125° SE | 4:00 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:35 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:10 AM | 4:51 AM | 5:39 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 55m |
| July | 4:28 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 5:11 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:05 PM | 3:58 PM | 4:33 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Heyburn State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:18 AM – 2:48 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:45 PM – 1:45 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:19 PM – 12:39 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 10:43 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.65 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 49 | 54 | 65 | 79 | 87 | 101 | 100 | 105 | 94 | 85 | 61 | 48 |
| Low °F | -20 | -19 | -10 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 38 | 38 | 22 | 2 | -18 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.1 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
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 Heyburn State Park, closest first.
Mountain Pass
State Park
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bell Bay Campground15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Shadowy St. Joe Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Beauty Creek Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Heyburn State Park?
What time is golden hour at Heyburn State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Heyburn State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Heyburn State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Heyburn State Park?
How far is Heyburn State Park from Plummer?
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.