Casey State Recreation Site is a state park in Jackson County, Oregon. The nearest town is Shady Cove, about 11.1 km (6.9 mi) away (Casey State Recreation Site lies ENE of town).
Casey State Recreation Site is a day-use only state park located 29 miles northeast of Medford, Oregon off Oregon Route 62. The parks offers picnic and boating facilities, as well as access to the Rogue River. It is located on the Crater Lake Highway and is a popular salmon fishing area. The land for the park was leased from the federal government in 1932 and purchased in 1937. At the time of the lease, there were two residents on the land. One of them, James Allen Casey (J.A. Casey or "Jack" Casey), who was born in Kansas, had built a small restaurant and tourist camp, called Casey's Auto Camp. James Allen Casey believed he had homesteaded the land, many years before it was "discovered" to be federal land. ([James "Jack" Casey was directly descended from John Wallace—Sir John Wallace [Sir John—Brother of William "Braveheart" Wallace—Laird of Elderslie, 1273-1306], who was executed...From the Wikipedia article “Casey State Recreation Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Casey State Recreation 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° (NW) in June to 238° (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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 57° ENE | 8:53 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 122° ESE | 4:41 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 04m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Casey State Recreation Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:45 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 3:47 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:08 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:53 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:49 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 60 | 61 | 69 | 80 | 92 | 101 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 37 | 35 | 29 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 6.5 |
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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- 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 Casey State Recreation Site, closest first.
Natural Arch
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
Waterfall
Waterfall
Covered BridgeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Stewart State Park Campground7.0 km (4.4 mi)
- Threehorn Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Butler Butte Cabin25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Guard Station26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Jim Creek Group Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Casey State Recreation Site?
What time is golden hour at Casey State Recreation Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Casey State Recreation Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Casey State Recreation Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Casey State Recreation Site?
How far is Casey State Recreation Site from Shady Cove?
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.