Olana State Historic Site is a state park in Columbia County, New York. The nearest town is Catskill, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Olana State Historic Site lies E of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Olana State Historic Site is a historic house museum and landscape in Greenport, New York, near the city of Hudson. The estate was home to Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900), one of the major figures in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. The centerpiece of Olana is an eclectic villa which overlooks parkland and a working farm designed by the artist. The residence has a wide view of the Hudson River Valley, the Catskill Mountains and the Taconic Range. Church and his wife Isabel (1836–1899) named their estate after a fortress-treasure house in ancient Greater Persia (modern-day Armenia), which also overlooked a river valley.From the Wikipedia article “Olana State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Olana State Historic Site 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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 57° ENE | 8:36 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:27 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 | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:57 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 Olana State Historic Site, 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 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:32 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: 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 ≈ 19.89 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 100 | 98 | 93 | 86 | 74 | 68 |
| Low °F | -24 | -18 | -15 | 12 | 27 | 34 | 46 | 46 | 34 | 18 | 3 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Olana State Historic Site, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Olana State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Olana State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Olana State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Olana State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Olana State Historic Site?
How far is Olana State Historic Site from Catskill?
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.