Located in Montgomery County, Maryland, Matthew Henson State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 700 m ESE of Aspen Hill.
Matthew Henson State Park is a Maryland state park and greenway situated along a tributary of Rock Creek in Montgomery County, Maryland. The park is managed by Montgomery County under an agreement with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. It was named for Maryland native and arctic explorer Matthew Henson. Matthew Henson Trail, an 8-foot-wide (2.4 m) hard surface hiking/biking trail, was completed through the park in 2009. The trail runs 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail near Aspen Hill northeast to Alderton Road near Layhill. The trail features 0.6 miles (0.97 km) of wooden boardwalk through environmentally sensitive areas.From the Wikipedia article “Matthew Henson State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Matthew Henson 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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Matthew Henson State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.02 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 68 | 76 | 78 | 89 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -10 | -5 | 22 | 29 | 42 | 52 | 52 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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 Matthew Henson State Park, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Rock Formation
Botanical Garden
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
Canyon
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rock Creek Park Group Picnic Areas (Dc)12.8 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Swains Lock Hiker-Biker Campsite16.4 km (10.2 mi)
- Carderock Recreation Area Pavilion16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Marsden Tract Group Campsite17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Greenbelt Campground18.1 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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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.