Located in Linn County, Oregon, Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site is a state park. It sits roughly 9.2 km (5.7 mi) SSE of Tangent.
Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site is a state park near Shedd in Linn County, Oregon, United States, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The mill was first built in 1858. It burned down in 1862 but was rebuilt right away and the 12 inch by 12 inch hand hewn beams cut and placed while Lincoln was in office are still visible inside the mill today. A series of owners adapted the mill to changing times turning the flour mill to a feed mill and eventually a hydroelectric plant operating until 2004, making it one of Oregon's oldest continuously operating water-powered businesses. Oregon State Parks purchased the property in 2004 and the park was opened to the public in December 2007. The property was acquired and restored under Governor Ted Kulongoski's "park-a-year" plan, in which one new state park is to be opened every year. Free guided tours are offered daily...From the Wikipedia article “Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 55° NE | 9:01 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 123° ESE | 4:36 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:06 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:28 PM – 2:58 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 1:33 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.02 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 July as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 86 | 89 | 87 | 89 | 94 | 80 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | 19 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 45 | 46 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 4.8 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
Botanical Garden
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site?
What time is golden hour at Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site?
How far is Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site from Tangent?
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.