Located in Hood River County, Oregon, Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area is a state park. It sits roughly 7.6 km (4.7 mi) W of Hood River.
Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area is a state park in northern Hood River County, Oregon, just west of the city of Hood River, and is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. It is located in the Columbia River Gorge, adjacent to an abandoned section of the Historic Columbia River Highway. This park is one of a trio encompassing areas in the vicinity of Mitchell Point, along with Vinzenz Lausmann Memorial State Natural Area and Wygant State Natural Area. The three parks offers scenic hiking and views over the Gorge. Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area lies within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.From the Wikipedia article “Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 54° NE | 9:00 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 124° SE | 4:26 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:12 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:13 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:19 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:13 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.24 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain Peak
State Park
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Moss Creek Campground10.7 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Wyeth Campground12.0 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Oklahoma Campground18.6 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Wahtum Lake Campground19.4 km (12.1 mi)
- Panther Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area?
What time is golden hour at Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area?
How far is Seneca Fouts Memorial State Natural Area from Hood River?
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.