Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park is a state park in Talbot County, Maryland. The nearest town is Cambridge, about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away (Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park lies NE of town).
Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park (formerly the Choptank River Fishing Pier) is a Maryland state park on the Choptank River in Trappe, Maryland. The park preserves portions of the former Choptank River Bridge as a pier, and includes 25 acres (10 ha) of land upriver from the pier in Talbot County. The fishing pier was created after the Emerson C. Harrington Bridge, which had been dedicated in 1935 by President Franklin Roosevelt, was replaced with the Frederick C. Malkus Bridge in 1987. In 2011, the pier was renamed to honor Bill Burton, a long-time outdoors writer and Chesapeake Bay fishing advocate, who played a significant role in preserving the old bridge as a fishing pier when the new bridge was constructed. The discovery of structural weakness below the waterline in 2022 resulted in the piers in both Dorchester and Talbot counties being closed until further notice.From the Wikipedia article “Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bill Burton Fishing Pier 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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:47 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:11 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.14 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 101 | 100 | 94 | 93 | 75 | 72 |
| Low °F | 7 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 38 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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.
- 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 Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park, closest first.
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LighthouseBeach
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park?
What time is golden hour at Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park?
How far is Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park from Cambridge?
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.