Wilson State Park — a state park in Ellsworth County, Kansas — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) E of Russell.
Wilson State Park is a public recreation area found on the south shore of 9,000-acre (3,600 ha) Wilson Lake reservoir approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of the city of Wilson in Russell County, Kansas, United States. Located at the reservoir's eastern end, the state park covers 945 acres (382 ha) divided into two areas by the reservoir's southeastern arm: the Hell Creek area on the west side and the Otoe area on the east side. The Hell Creek area hosts a marina. Both areas include hiking trails, swimming beaches, boat ramps, and camping facilities.From the Wikipedia article “Wilson State Park (Kansas)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wilson 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) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 59° ENE | 9:04 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 120° ESE | 5:16 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 | 7:23 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 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 Wilson 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:41 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:50 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 5:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:35 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:26 PM – 8:36 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 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 39% 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 | 71 | 81 | 88 | 98 | 101 | 113 | 112 | 110 | 110 | 96 | 84 | 69 |
| Low °F | -3 | -2 | 0 | 18 | 30 | 47 | 54 | 51 | 39 | 21 | 12 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lucas Park4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Sylvan Park5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Minooka Park6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wilson State Park?
What time is golden hour at Wilson State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wilson State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wilson State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wilson State Park?
How far is Wilson State Park from Russell?
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.