Shades State Park — a state park in Parke County, Indiana — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Rockport, about 17.3 km (10.7 mi) away (Shades State Park lies ENE of town).
Shades State Park is a state park in Montgomery, Parke, and Fountain counties in Indiana, United States. It is located 47 miles (76 km) west-northwest of Indianapolis. In 2024–2025, Shades received an estimated 125,000 visitors.From the Wikipedia article “Shades State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Shades 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 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:53 AM | 90° E | 8:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:21 AM | 58° ENE | 9:21 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:37 AM | 89° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:07 AM | 121° ESE | 5:27 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 | 7:39 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:50 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:18 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:37 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:52 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:49 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:47 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Shades 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:05 AM – 6:25 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 4:12 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 11:14 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 12:48 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:31 PM – 10:41 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:40 PM – 8:50 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.34 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 September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 67 | 72 | 80 | 84 | 90 | 106 | 108 | 103 | 99 | 92 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -18 | -14 | 3 | 21 | 30 | 36 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 25 | 7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
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
- 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 Shades State Park, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Shades State Park?
What time is golden hour at Shades State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Shades State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Shades State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Shades State Park?
How far is Shades State Park from Rockport?
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.