Hodges Gardens State Park — a state park in Sabine Parish, Louisiana — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) SSE of Many. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hodges Gardens State Park, previously known as Hodges Gardens, Park and Wilderness Area, was located on 4,700 acres (19 km2) between Florien and Hornbeck, near the Toledo Bend Reservoir of the Sabine River in Sabine Parish, in west central Louisiana. The park was located on U.S. Highway 171 some fifteen miles (24 km) south of Many, the seat of Sabine Parish. The facility offered walking trails, formal gardens, arboretum, the Azalea Overlook, waterfalls, and a visitor center. Originally, privately developed during the 1940s and opened to the public in 1956. The park was formally dedicated on May 1, 1959, and transferred to a non-profit foundation in 1960. In April 2007, it became part of the Louisiana public parks system. It is the largest horticultural park and recreation area in the United States and with the acquisition Hodges Garden became the newest park in Louisiana. As of...From the Wikipedia article “Hodges Gardens State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hodges Gardens 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 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 62° ENE | 8:22 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 117° ESE | 5:16 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 06m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 20m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 07m |
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 Hodges Gardens State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:53 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:46 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:29 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:56 PM – 3:06 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:56 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:53 PM | 2.2 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 9:04 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 76 | 81 | 88 | 94 | 101 | 105 | 107 | 109 | 105 | 97 | 88 | 80 |
| Low °F | 17 | 19 | 22 | 33 | 41 | 60 | 64 | 57 | 47 | 35 | 21 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Hodges Gardens State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Lake
State Park
Scenic ViewpointWaterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hodges Gardens State Park?
What time is golden hour at Hodges Gardens State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hodges Gardens State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hodges Gardens State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hodges Gardens State Park?
How far is Hodges Gardens State Park from Many?
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.