Located in Tyrrell County, North Carolina, Pettigrew State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Plymouth, about 30 km (19 mi) away (Pettigrew State Park lies ESE of town).
Pettigrew State Park is a North Carolina State Park in Tyrrell and Washington Counties, North Carolina, in the United States. It covers 5,951 acres (24.08 km2) around the shore lines of Lake Phelps and the Scuppernong River. The park's developed facilities are south of U.S. Route 64 near Roper and Creswell, North Carolina. Pettigrew State Park is open for year-round recreation, including hiking, camping, fishing, boating and picnicking. Pettigrew State Park is named for Confederate General J. Johnston Pettigrew, who lived in a nearby home. It surrounds Somerset Place, a North Carolina state historic site that includes a restored 1830s plantation house and outbuildings that can be toured, including reconstructed slave quarters. Pettigrew State Park was established during the Great Depression after the land was leased from the Farm Security Administration, a New Deal program of...From the Wikipedia article “Pettigrew State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pettigrew State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 60° ENE | 8:26 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Pettigrew State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 4:15 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:53 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:31 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 93 | 96 | 97 | 96 | 91 | 89 | 79 | 74 |
| Low °F | 14 | 16 | 25 | 36 | 46 | 59 | 66 | 63 | 56 | 41 | 30 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 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
- 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 Pettigrew State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Beach
LighthouseBeach
National Wildlife Refuge
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pettigrew State Park?
What time is golden hour at Pettigrew State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pettigrew State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pettigrew State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pettigrew State Park?
How far is Pettigrew State Park from Plymouth?
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.