Lake Thunderbird State Park — a state park in Cleveland County, Oklahoma — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Pink, about 12.4 km (7.7 mi) away (Lake Thunderbird State Park lies WSW of town).
Lake Thunderbird State Park is a 1,874-acre (7.58 km2) Oklahoma state park located in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. It is 12 miles (19 km) east of Norman, Oklahoma on State Highway 9. The park provides recreational access to Lake Thunderbird. In addition to boating, fishing, and swimming, the park offers a variety of land-based activities. There are two marinas (Calypso Cove Marina and Little River Marina), nine boat ramps and a swim area at the lake. The park has over 200 sites for parking recreational vehicles (RVs), including 30 full hookups. There are also restrooms, primitive campsites and a seasonal restaurant. The park had over 637,000 visitors in 2011, earned $461,506 from activity fees, and cost $1.2 million to operate.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Thunderbird State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Thunderbird 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 242° (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) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:16 AM | 60° ENE | 8:47 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 119° ESE | 5:21 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Lake Thunderbird State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:33 PM – 4:23 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:52 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:53 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:00 PM | 0.7 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.64 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 76 | 83 | 89 | 100 | 102 | 108 | 113 | 116 | 105 | 94 | 84 | 78 |
| Low °F | 0 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 53 | 58 | 55 | 44 | 21 | 16 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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.
- 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 Lake Thunderbird State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Thunderbird State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lake Thunderbird State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Thunderbird State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Thunderbird State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Thunderbird State Park?
How far is Lake Thunderbird State Park from Pink?
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.