Beaver Dam State Park — a state park in Lincoln County, Nevada — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Enterprise, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Beaver Dam State Park lies WSW of town).
Beaver Dam State Park is a public recreation area encompassing more than 2,000 acres (810 ha) along Beaver Dam Wash in Lincoln County, Nevada. The state park is on the Nevada/Utah state line about 25 miles (40 km) east of the town of Caliente.From the Wikipedia article “Beaver Dam State Park (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beaver Dam 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:41 AM | 90° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 59° ENE | 8:01 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:25 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 120° ESE | 4:22 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:55 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Beaver Dam State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:34 AM – 4:54 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:24 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 11:43 PM – 3:33 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:13 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 1:47 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:07 PM – 11:47 PM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 9:44 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:27 PM – 7:47 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 70 | 81 | 87 | 98 | 105 | 104 | 104 | 102 | 89 | 77 | 63 |
| Low °F | 0 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 27 | 37 | 53 | 49 | 33 | 18 | 13 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Beaver Dam State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaWilderness Area
Wilderness Area
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beaver Dam State Park?
What time is golden hour at Beaver Dam State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beaver Dam State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beaver Dam State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beaver Dam State Park?
How far is Beaver Dam State Park from Enterprise?
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.