Located in Onondaga County, New York, Green Lakes State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 3.3 km (2.1 mi) NE of Fayetteville.
Green Lakes State Park is a New York State Park located east of Syracuse in the town of Manlius. The park is centered on two small meromictic lakes, Green Lake and Round Lake, which have an unusual blue-green color, and preserves the largest stand of old growth forest in Central New York. The lakes lie at the base of a gorge just over a mile long, both of which are remnants of the ice ages and exemplify the unusual geology of upstate New York. Green Lake has a surface area of 65 acres and a maximum depth of 195 feet. Round Lake has a surface area of 34 acres and a maximum depth of 170 feet. Nearly half the park's area is old-growth forest, which includes large specimens of tuliptrees, sugar maples, beech, basswood, hemlocks, and white cedars. A grove of trees, lying immediately to the southwest of Round Lake, has been called the Tuliptree Cathedral. The park also has a golf course...From the Wikipedia article “Green Lakes State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Green Lakes 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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 56° ENE | 8:47 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 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 | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Green Lakes 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 5 (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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.59 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 89 | 81 | 71 | 64 |
| Low °F | -27 | -20 | -19 | 4 | 26 | 34 | 44 | 45 | 32 | 20 | -6 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
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 Green Lakes State Park, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Green Lakes State Park?
What time is golden hour at Green Lakes State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Green Lakes State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Green Lakes State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Green Lakes State Park?
How far is Green Lakes State Park from Fayetteville?
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.