Clinton State Park is a state park in Douglas County, Kansas. The nearest town is Lawrence, about 12.2 km (7.6 mi) away (Clinton State Park lies WSW of town).
Clinton State Park is a 1,500-acre (610 ha) public recreation area located on the north shore of Clinton Lake at the western edge of Lawrence, Kansas, United States. An extensive hiking/biking trail system make this park and adjacent 9,200-acre (3,700 ha) wildlife area an attractive destination for outdoors enthusiasts including hikers, nature photographers, mountain bicyclists, wildflower enthusiasts, wildlife observers, and cross-country skiers. The park is the former home of the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival and the Ironman Kansas 70.3 triathlon.From the Wikipedia article “Clinton State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clinton 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 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 59° ENE | 8:51 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 120° ESE | 5:03 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Clinton 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:31 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:23 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 ≈ 20.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 94 | 106 | 112 | 113 | 107 | 94 | 80 | 73 |
| Low °F | -10 | -3 | -2 | 19 | 31 | 46 | 53 | 49 | 39 | 20 | 9 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Clinton State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Overlook Park2.5 km (1.5 mi) · reservable
- Bloomington West3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Bloomington East 3.2 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Rockhaven Park Campground And Equestrian Area5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Perry21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clinton State Park?
What time is golden hour at Clinton State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clinton State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clinton State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clinton State Park?
How far is Clinton State Park from Lawrence?
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.