Midway State Park — a state park in Chautauqua County, New York — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mayville, about 8.9 km (5.5 mi) away (Midway State Park lies SE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Midway State Park, located in Maple Springs, New York, was established in 1898 by the Jamestown & Lake Erie Railway as a picnic ground. Today, it is recognized as the fifteenth-oldest continually operating amusement park in the United States, and the fifth-oldest remaining trolley park of the thirteen still operating in the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Midway State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Midway State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 57° ENE | 8:58 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 122° ESE | 4:49 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Midway State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:50 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:58 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.43 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 64% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (86%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 55 | 57 | 71 | 71 | 82 | 89 | 90 | 89 | 87 | 82 | 68 | 59 |
| Low °F | -3 | -9 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 38 | 46 | 53 | 42 | 29 | 19 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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 Midway State Park, closest first.
Lake
Lighthouse
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Midway State Park?
What time is golden hour at Midway State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Midway State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Midway State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Midway State Park?
How far is Midway State Park from Mayville?
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.