Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park — a state park in Valley County, Nebraska — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Burwell, about 11.2 km (7.0 mi) away (Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park lies SE of town).
Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park is a state park located six miles (9.7 km) southeast of Burwell, Nebraska, preserving a typical U.S. Army cavalry outpost of the late 19th century. Fort Hartsuff was active from 1874 to 1881. Among its surviving original structures are the post headquarters, enlisted men’s barracks, officers’ quarters, commanding officers quarters, and post hospital; other buildings have been reconstructed.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 57° ENE | 9:15 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 122° ESE | 5:09 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:43 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:08 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:27 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 10m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:06 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:07 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 66 | 77 | 84 | 91 | 100 | 108 | 110 | 106 | 104 | 92 | 81 | 69 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -11 | 8 | 27 | 42 | 49 | 48 | 35 | 15 | 6 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- 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 Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park?
What time is golden hour at Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park?
How far is Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park from Burwell?
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.