Located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Cheesequake State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Laurence Harbor, about 3.1 km (1.9 mi) away (Cheesequake State Park lies SW of town).
Cheesequake State Park is a 1,610-acre (2.52 mi2) state park located in Old Bridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, in the United States. The New Jersey Legislature allocated $100,000 in 1937 to purchase property for the park. The state first acquired a 250-acre (100 ha) tract of farmland and a Civil War-era mansion from the Favier brothers in January 1938. Additional lands were acquired over the next two years, and the Civil Conservation Corps, part of the Works Progress Administration, helped develop the property. The park was opened in June 1940. It is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry and is part of the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. The name Cheesequake has been variously described as deriving from the Lenape words Cheseh-oh-ke ("upland"), Chichequaas ("upland village"), or Chiskhakink ("at the land that has been cleared").From the Wikipedia article “Cheesequake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cheesequake State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:34 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Cheesequake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 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 | 5:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:39 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:56 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:49 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.27 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Cheesequake State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
State Park
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook23 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Camp Gateway - Staten Island26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cheesequake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Cheesequake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cheesequake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cheesequake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cheesequake State Park?
How far is Cheesequake State Park from Laurence Harbor?
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.