Chapman State Park is a state park in Charles County, Maryland. The nearest town is Potomac Heights, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Chapman State Park lies NE of town).
Chapman State Park is a Maryland state park bordering the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland. The state park preserves the mansion and grounds of Mount Aventine, the historic home of the Chapman family, who had significant ties to many of the Founding Fathers. The State of Maryland purchased Mount Aventine and established Chapman State Park in 1998. The park's diverse, heavily wooded biosphere is home to many rare and disjunct plant and animal species. Several of the park's trees have been nominated for state and national big tree champion status. Recreational features include fishing, hunting, and several miles of hiking trails.From the Wikipedia article “Chapman State Park (Maryland)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chapman 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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 59° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:51 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 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 Chapman 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 6 (bright 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 | 5:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:19 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.1 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 52% average cloud cover) and May 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 | 76 | 76 | 81 | 95 | 93 | 100 | 106 | 105 | 99 | 98 | 80 | 76 |
| Low °F | 2 | -2 | -1 | 23 | 32 | 45 | 52 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 20 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
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 Chapman State Park, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
State Park
Botanical Garden
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fort Hunt Picnic Areas11.8 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Fort Washington Park Day Use Facilities12.6 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Prince William Forest Rv Park20 km (13 mi)
- Telegraph Picnic Pavilion21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Cabin Camp 322 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chapman State Park?
What time is golden hour at Chapman State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chapman State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chapman State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chapman State Park?
How far is Chapman State Park from Potomac Heights?
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.