Located in Union County, Indiana, Whitewater Memorial State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 3.8 km (2.4 mi) SW of Liberty.
Whitewater Memorial is the sixteenth state park in Indiana. It is located 47 miles (76 km) in Union County, Indiana, west-southwest of Dayton, Ohio. At 23,000 acres (93 km2), it is the third-largest state park in Indiana; its seventeen miles (27 km) stretches between Brookville, Indiana, and Liberty, Indiana, paralleled by Indiana State Road 101. The park was established as a memorial to those American soldiers who lost their lives in World Wars I and II. The park receives about 240,000 visitors annually. Part of the facilities available to visitors to Whitewater Memorial State Park include Brookville Reservoir. Brookville Reservoir was created as an artificial lake by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1974, spanning 5,260 acres (21 km2). The dam which enables the lake is 181 feet (55 m) high and 2,800 feet (850 m) long. Whitewater Lake itself is 200 acres (0.81 km2).From the Wikipedia article “Whitewater Memorial State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whitewater Memorial State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 58° ENE | 9:12 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 120° ESE | 5:20 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 8:00 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:10 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:28 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:42 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:39 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:27 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Whitewater Memorial State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:47 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:57 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 4:27 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 4:11 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 2:43 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 12:38 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:22 PM – 10:42 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:32 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.2 | 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 ≈ 21.01 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 45% 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 | 67 | 73 | 81 | 83 | 87 | 98 | 102 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 79 | 70 |
| Low °F | -12 | -8 | 5 | 22 | 26 | 41 | 49 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 10 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 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
- 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 Whitewater Memorial State Park, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Quakertown Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi)
- Overlook Shelter (Brookville Lake)19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Tailwater Shelter 1 (Brookville Lake)20.0 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
- Tailwater Shelter 2 (Brookville Lake)20.0 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whitewater Memorial State Park?
What time is golden hour at Whitewater Memorial State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whitewater Memorial State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whitewater Memorial State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whitewater Memorial State Park?
How far is Whitewater Memorial State Park from Liberty?
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.