Baxter State Park is a state park in Piscataquis County, Maine. It sits roughly 38 km (23 mi) W of Patten.
Baxter State Park is a large wilderness area permanently preserved as a state park in Northeast Piscataquis, Piscataquis County in north-central Maine, United States. It is in the North Maine Woods region and borders the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument on the east. The park was established by 28 donations of land, in trust, from park donor Percival P. Baxter between the years of 1931 and 1962, eventually creating a park of over 200,000 acres (81,000 ha) in size. Baxter Park is not part of the Maine State Park system. Sole governance is provided by the Baxter State Park Authority, consisting of the Maine Attorney General, the Maine Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Director of the Maine Forest Service. The park is independently funded through a combination of revenues from trusts, user fees, and the sale of forest products from the park's Scientific...From the Wikipedia article “Baxter State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Baxter State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:40 AM | 90° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:46 AM | 54° NE | 8:31 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 124° SE | 3:54 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 38m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 4:29 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 4:07 AM | 4:45 AM | 5:31 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 44m |
| July | 4:23 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:38 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:01 PM | 3:52 PM | 4:26 PM | 8h 40m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Baxter State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 3:53 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 12:45 AM – 2:45 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 2:01 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 12:42 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 48 | 46 | 69 | 74 | 85 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 76 | 66 | 56 |
| Low °F | -36 | -30 | -21 | 4 | 25 | 31 | 44 | 39 | 27 | 18 | -1 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Baxter State Park, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Baxter State Park?
What time is golden hour at Baxter State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Baxter State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Baxter State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Baxter State Park?
How far is Baxter State Park from Patten?
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.