Located in Onondaga County, New York, Clark Reservation State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Nedrow, about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away (Clark Reservation State Park lies ENE of town).
Clark Reservation State Park is a state park in Onondaga County, New York. The park is in Jamesville, NY, in the Town of DeWitt, south of Syracuse. It was the site of a large waterfall formed by melting glacial ice at the end of the last Ice Age; the plunge basin at the base of the old falls is now a small lake. James Macfarlane described the area in 1879, "On approaching the lake from the turnpike on the south side, the tourist is startled at finding himself, without any notice, on the brink of a yawning gulf, precisely like that of the Niagara River below the Falls, and nearly as deep." Clark Reservation is also noted for its many ferns; it harbors the largest population in the U.S. of American hart's tongue, which is so rare that it was declared endangered in the U.S. in 1989.From the Wikipedia article “Clark Reservation State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clark Reservation State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 56° ENE | 8:48 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 122° ESE | 4:33 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Clark Reservation State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:42 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:43 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 61 | 65 | 73 | 84 | 93 | 94 | 101 | 95 | 93 | 86 | 72 | 66 |
| Low °F | -12 | -18 | -7 | 12 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 46 | 33 | 23 | -7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
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
- 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 Clark Reservation State Park, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
LakeWaterfall
Lake
State ParkWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clark Reservation State Park?
What time is golden hour at Clark Reservation State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clark Reservation State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clark Reservation State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clark Reservation State Park?
How far is Clark Reservation State Park from Nedrow?
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.