Located in Klamath County, Oregon, OC&E Woods Line State Trail is a state park. The nearest town is Altamont, about 1.2 km (0.7 mi) away (OC&E Woods Line State Trail lies W of town).
The OC&E Woods Line State Trail is a rail trail in Klamath and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is Oregon's longest state park. The trail follows the old OC&E (Oregon, California and Eastern) and Weyerhaeuser railroads from Klamath Falls to Thompson Reservoir. Along its 105-mile (169 km) length it passes through the communities of Olene, Sprague River, Dairy, Beatty, and Bly. The OC&E Woods Line State Trail is paved from Klamath Falls to the community of Olene, approximately 8 miles (13 km). Beyond Olene, the trail surface is graded and compacted, which attracts mountain bikers, hikers, anglers, equestrians, and wildlife watchers. Additionally, the trail has a gentle 2 percent slope grade.From the Wikipedia article “OC&E Woods Line State Trail”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At OC&E Woods Line State Trail 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° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 57° ENE | 8:48 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 07m |
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 OC&E Woods Line State Trail, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:44 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: 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 ≈ 18.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 59 | 60 | 72 | 78 | 87 | 96 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 71 | 54 |
| Low °F | -12 | -10 | 4 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 17 | -6 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
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
- 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 OC&E Woods Line State Trail, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
Hot SpringHot Spring
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Lake
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph OC&E Woods Line State Trail?
What time is golden hour at OC&E Woods Line State Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at OC&E Woods Line State Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from OC&E Woods Line State Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at OC&E Woods Line State Trail?
How far is OC&E Woods Line State Trail from Altamont?
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.