William B. Umstead State Park is a state park in Wake County, North Carolina. It sits roughly 7.7 km (4.8 mi) NNE of Cary.
William B. Umstead State Park is a North Carolina state park in Wake County, North Carolina, in the United States. It covers 5,442 acres (8.503 mi2; 22.02 km2) nestled between the expanding cities of Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, North Carolina. It offers a combined 34.3 miles (55.2 km) hiking, bike and bridle trails, camping, picnic areas, and educational programs. Part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000 mile long system of trails connecting Maine to Florida, runs through the park.From the Wikipedia article “William B. Umstead State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At William B. Umstead 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 60° ENE | 8:35 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 119° ESE | 5:05 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 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 William B. Umstead 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:22 PM – 4:02 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:36 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.74 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 74 | 78 | 84 | 90 | 98 | 106 | 104 | 106 | 100 | 99 | 84 | 77 |
| Low °F | 6 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 37 | 48 | 58 | 54 | 43 | 29 | 20 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 William B. Umstead State Park, closest first.
Lake
Botanical Garden
Lake
State Park
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Lake
Botanical Garden
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph William B. Umstead State Park?
What time is golden hour at William B. Umstead State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at William B. Umstead State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from William B. Umstead State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at William B. Umstead State Park?
How far is William B. Umstead State Park from Cary?
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.