Ouabache State Park is a state park in Wells County, Indiana. It sits roughly 5.6 km (3.5 mi) ESE of Bluffton.
Ouabache [wɑːbɑː'ʃi] (a French transcription of the Miami Indian word for the river, waapaahšiiki, meaning "it shines white", or "shining water over white stones") is a state park in Indiana. It is located 30 miles (48 km) south of Fort Wayne, Indiana near Bluffton, Indiana. It was originally the Wells County State Forest and Game Preserve, formed in the early 1930s. In 1962 it became the Ouabache State Recreation Area, before finally achieving state park status in 1983. The Wabash River runs through the park, which provides fishing and nature viewing. A 100-foot (30 m) fire tower offers an excellent view of the park. The park receives about 200,000 visitors annually. Until the 1960s, when the practice was stopped, it was the greatest producer of chicks of pheasants and quails in the United States, making it known as the "Greatest Wildlife Laboratory in the U.S." Remnants of some of...From the Wikipedia article “Ouabache State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ouabache 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 58° ENE | 9:16 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 121° ESE | 5:17 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:44 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time (America/Indiana/Indianapolis), 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 Ouabache State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | 5:57 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:08 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 4:00 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:11 PM – 2:31 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:24 PM – 10:34 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:32 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 81 | 81 | 91 | 104 | 104 | 96 | 97 | 90 | 77 | 70 |
| Low °F | -18 | -17 | -1 | 21 | 24 | 41 | 46 | 46 | 37 | 27 | 10 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Ouabache State Park, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ouabache State Park?
What time is golden hour at Ouabache State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ouabache State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ouabache State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ouabache State Park?
How far is Ouabache State Park from Bluffton?
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.