Wills Mountain State Park is a state park in Allegany County, Maryland. The nearest town is Cumberland, about 2.8 km (1.7 mi) away (Wills Mountain State Park lies NNW of town).
Wills Mountain State Park is a Maryland state park on Wills Mountain overlooking the Cumberland Narrows in Allegany County, Maryland. The park occupies 470 acres (190 ha) on the northwest edge of the City of Cumberland. It is under the control of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.From the Wikipedia article “Wills Mountain State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wills Mountain State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 58° ENE | 8:47 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 120° ESE | 4:55 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Wills Mountain State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:17 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: 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 ≈ 19.27 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 54% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 69 | 74 | 78 | 86 | 94 | 95 | 100 | 98 | 97 | 93 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | -7 | -4 | -3 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 19 | 6 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Wills Mountain State Park, closest first.
Cave
Covered Bridge
State Park
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
Mountain Pass
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Evitts Creek Hiker-Biker Campsite7.5 km (4.7 mi)
- Irons Mountain Hiker-Biker Campsite10.4 km (6.5 mi)
- Spring Gap Campground13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Pigmans Ferry Hiker-Biker Campsite18.6 km (11.5 mi)
- Potomac Forks Hiker-Biker Campsite23 km (14 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wills Mountain State Park?
What time is golden hour at Wills Mountain State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wills Mountain State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wills Mountain State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wills Mountain State Park?
How far is Wills Mountain State Park from Cumberland?
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.