Cedar Bluff State Park is a state park in Ness County, Kansas. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) SW of Ellis.
Cedar Bluff State Park is a public recreation area located 21 miles (34 km) southeast of WaKeeney and 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Ellis in Trego County, Kansas, United States. The state park is divided into two areas, comprising 850 acres (340 ha), straddling the 6,800-acre (2,800 ha) Cedar Bluff Reservoir. The Bluffton Area—300 acres (120 ha) on the north shore—is the most developed and receives extensive use. The Page Creek Area—500 acres (200 ha) on the south shore—offers primitive camping as well as 36 utility sites. West of the Page Creek Area are the juniper-lined, 100-foot-tall (30 m) limestone bluffs from which the reservoir's name was derived (junipers were often misidentified as "cedars" by early settlers). Threshing Machine Canyon, the site of an 1850s Native American attack on a wagon train bearing a threshing machine, is accessed by a road west of the park. In the...From the Wikipedia article “Cedar Bluff State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cedar Bluff State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:15 AM | 59° ENE | 9:08 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 120° ESE | 5:21 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 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 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:37 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:25 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Cedar Bluff State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:46 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 4:32 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 4:14 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 12:44 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:19 PM – 10:39 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:30 PM – 8:50 PM | 0.3 | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 73 | 82 | 87 | 98 | 103 | 114 | 113 | 108 | 109 | 96 | 85 | 71 |
| Low °F | -3 | -1 | 1 | 19 | 29 | 47 | 54 | 51 | 38 | 20 | 13 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cedar Bluff State Park?
What time is golden hour at Cedar Bluff State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cedar Bluff State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cedar Bluff State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cedar Bluff State Park?
How far is Cedar Bluff State Park from Ellis?
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.