Bayou Segnette State Park is a state park in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It sits roughly 1.2 km (0.7 mi) WSW of Westwego.
Bayou Segnette State Park is located in Westwego, Jefferson Parish, southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Bayou Segnette is not far from the urban center of New Orleans, yet it features access to two types of wetlands, swamp and marsh. Saltwater intrusion coming into the canals from the Gulf of Mexico created the marsh. This is a remarkable habitat for plant and wildlife. This habitat is home to American alligators, coypu, nine-banded armadillos, Virginia opossum, raccoons, American mink, red-tailed hawks, kites, red-winged blackbirds, bald eagles, and northern cardinals.From the Wikipedia article “Bayou Segnette State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bayou Segnette State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 62° ENE | 8:05 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 117° ESE | 5:06 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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 | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 03m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Bayou Segnette State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:49 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:29 PM – 4:29 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:58 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:50 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 10:48 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:51 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.46 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (58%). August 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 | 78 | 81 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 97 | 93 | 91 | 83 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 29 | 30 | 40 | 48 | 67 | 72 | 64 | 59 | 42 | 32 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 4.5 |
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 Bayou Segnette State Park, closest first.
Natural Arch
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Waterfall
Lake
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bayou Segnette State Park?
What time is golden hour at Bayou Segnette State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bayou Segnette State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bayou Segnette State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bayou Segnette State Park?
How far is Bayou Segnette State Park from Westwego?
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.