Located in Suffolk County, New York, Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park is a state park.
Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park is a 691-acre (2.80 km2) state park located in the hamlet of Great River, New York, on Long Island. The park includes an arboretum designed by Frederick Law Olmsted for William Bayard Cutting in 1886, as well as a mansion designed by Charles C. Haight. Today Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park is one of the last remaining estates on the South Shore of Long Island. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973 as a historic district. Robert Fulton Cutting, known as the “first citizen of New York” and his wife Helen Suydam Cutting, niece to Caroline Astor, would frequent the manor house and estate as both William and Robert were brothers. Together Robert and William brought the sugar beet industry to the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bayard Cutting Arboretum 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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 58° ENE | 8:28 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 121° ESE | 4:29 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Bayard Cutting Arboretum 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 20° 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 | 5:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:31 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:36 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 1:44 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:46 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:47 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 7:45 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 ≈ 18.32 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 60 | 58 | 63 | 77 | 80 | 87 | 94 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 69 | 64 |
| Low °F | 8 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 59 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
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
- 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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, closest first.
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Lighthouse
Beach
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Cottage At Sailors Haven11.5 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Watch Hill Bayview House16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- The Bayberry Dunes House16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Watch Hill Campground16.5 km (10.3 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park?
What time is golden hour at Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park?
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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.