Located in Union County, New Mexico, Clayton Lake State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Clayton, about 17.8 km (11.1 mi) away (Clayton Lake State Park lies NW of town).
Clayton Lake State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, featuring a 170-acre (69 ha) recreational reservoir and a fossil trackway of dinosaur footprints. It is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Clayton, close to New Mexico's border with Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. The park is accessed via New Mexico State Road 455. The landscape is characterized by rolling grasslands, volcanic rocks, and sandstone bluffs, set on the western edge of the Great Plains. The park area was a stopover point for travelers along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail. Visitor activities include picnicking, camping, and fishing at the lake, as well as viewing one of the most extensive dinosaur trackways in North America. Clayton Lake was created by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in 1955 as a fishing lake and winter waterfowl resting area.From the Wikipedia article “Clayton Lake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clayton Lake State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 60° ENE | 8:16 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:02 AM | 119° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 41m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Clayton Lake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 3:55 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:04 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 67 | 73 | 80 | 89 | 97 | 102 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 80 | 70 |
| Low °F | 4 | -6 | 6 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 49 | 48 | 29 | 13 | 9 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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 Clayton Lake State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clayton Lake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Clayton Lake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clayton Lake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clayton Lake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clayton Lake State Park?
How far is Clayton Lake State Park from Clayton?
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.