Traverse City State Park — a state park in Grand Traverse County, Michigan — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Traverse City, about 5.8 km (3.6 mi) away (Traverse City State Park lies ESE of town).
Traverse City State Park, officially named Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park, is a 75-acre (30 ha) public recreation area in East Bay Township just east of Traverse City in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park is located on the southern shoreline of East Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan, and is used mainly as a campground. US-31/M-72 runs between the park proper and a beach area; there is an overpass by way of which campers can get to the beach. The beach area has a playground, grills and picnic tables. The camping area has around 350 campsites, all with electricity. Other features include a dump and fill station, three bathroom buildings, and a recycling/trash center. To the south the park adjoins the TART Trail, a 10.5-mile bicycle trail that runs through Traverse City. On July 21, 2011, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission augmented the name of the park...From the Wikipedia article “Traverse City State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Traverse City State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 55° NE | 9:32 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:17 AM | 123° ESE | 5:05 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:07 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:29 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:02 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 49m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Traverse City State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:46 AM – 6:06 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:44 AM – 5:04 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:41 AM – 4:01 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:00 AM – 3:20 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:45 PM – 2:05 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:35 PM – 10:05 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 61 | 79 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 85 | 72 | 61 |
| Low °F | -15 | -21 | -13 | 6 | 25 | 32 | 42 | 46 | 36 | 24 | 10 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Traverse City State Park, closest first.
Sand Dunes
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Traverse City State Park?
What time is golden hour at Traverse City State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Traverse City State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Traverse City State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Traverse City State Park?
How far is Traverse City State Park from Traverse City?
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.