Elk City State Park — a state park in Montgomery County, Kansas — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Independence, about 6.6 km (4.1 mi) away (Elk City State Park lies WNW of town).
Elk City State Park is a state park in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located west of Independence. The 857-acre (347 ha) park is adjacent to the 4,500-acre (1,800 ha) Elk City Reservoir and the 12,000-acre (4,900 ha) Elk City Wildlife Area. The reservoir offers fishing opportunities for channel catfish, white bass, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass and saugeye. The wildlife area offers a chance to view white-tailed deer, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, cottontail, gray squirrel, prairie chicken, beaver, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, opossum, mink and muskrat.From the Wikipedia article “Elk City State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Elk City State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 119° ESE | 5:10 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Elk City State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 4:09 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:43 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:41 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:34 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.21 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% 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 | 75 | 76 | 84 | 92 | 94 | 103 | 111 | 114 | 106 | 94 | 82 | 74 |
| Low °F | -9 | -4 | 3 | 21 | 33 | 47 | 55 | 49 | 41 | 18 | 12 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 6.6 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Downstream Point28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Mound Valley28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Overlook (Ks)28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Cherryvale Park28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Timber Hill Park29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Elk City State Park?
What time is golden hour at Elk City State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Elk City State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Elk City State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Elk City State Park?
How far is Elk City State Park from Independence?
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.