Mohican State Park is a state park in Ashland County, Ohio. The nearest town is Loudonville, about 3.9 km (2.4 mi) away (Mohican State Park lies SW of town).
Mohican State Park is a 1,110-acre (450 ha) public recreation area located on the south shore of Pleasant Hill Lake and along the Clear Fork of the Mohican River south of Loudonville in Ashland County, Ohio, United States. The state park is accessed from Ohio SR 3 and Ohio SR 97 and is surrounded by the 4,525-acre (1,831 ha) Mohican-Memorial State Forest. The Clear Fork flows through the park, carving a narrow gorge, and joins the Black Fork about a half-mile east of the park to form the Mohican River. The park is open for year-round recreation including camping, hiking, boating, mountain biking, fishing, and picnicking.From the Wikipedia article “Mohican State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mohican State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 58° ENE | 9:04 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 121° ESE | 5:06 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Mohican State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:57 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:07 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 47% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 71 | 80 | 81 | 88 | 96 | 100 | 99 | 96 | 89 | 77 | 68 |
| Low °F | -14 | -7 | 2 | 17 | 24 | 39 | 48 | 47 | 37 | 25 | 11 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
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 Mohican State Park, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Covered Bridge
WaterfallWaterfall
Ghost Town
State Park
Covered Bridge
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mohican State Park?
What time is golden hour at Mohican State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mohican State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mohican State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mohican State Park?
How far is Mohican State Park from Loudonville?
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.