Sam Houston Jones State Park — a state park in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Moss Bluff, about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) away (Sam Houston Jones State Park lies W of town).
Sam Houston Jones State Park is a park near the city of Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, in southwestern Louisiana (USA), located where the Houston River joins the Calcasieu River and Indian Bayou. It consists of 1,087 acres (440 ha) of woodlands, lakes and rivers. Prominent in the park are many bald cypress trees. Tree-filled lagoons and a mixed pine and hardwood forest combine to create a unique natural environment. The area hosts an abundance of wildlife, including deer, squirrels, bobcats, rabbits, alligators, otters, nutria rats, raccoons, foxes and diverse bird life. Ducks and geese are usually found swimming in the ponds. Originally named for Sam Houston, the Texas folk hero who traveled extensively in the western reaches of Louisiana, its current name is in honor of the former Louisiana governor Sam Houston Jones, who was instrumental in setting aside this tract of land for...From the Wikipedia article “Sam Houston Jones State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sam Houston Jones 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 62° ENE | 8:19 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 117° ESE | 5:18 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 11m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 12m |
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 Sam Houston Jones 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 6:01 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:41 PM – 4:41 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:54 PM – 4:34 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:51 PM – 3:01 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 1:02 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 11:01 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 9:03 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.3 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 82 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 106 | 106 | 108 | 105 | 95 | 89 | 82 |
| Low °F | 17 | 20 | 22 | 35 | 42 | 60 | 65 | 57 | 48 | 34 | 24 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 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 Sam Houston Jones State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sam Houston Jones State Park?
What time is golden hour at Sam Houston Jones State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sam Houston Jones State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sam Houston Jones State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sam Houston Jones State Park?
How far is Sam Houston Jones State Park from Moss Bluff?
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.