Tub Springs State Wayside — a state park in Jackson County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ashland, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Tub Springs State Wayside lies ESE of town).
Tub Springs State Wayside is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.From the Wikipedia article “Tub Springs State Wayside”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tub Springs State Wayside 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 303° (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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 57° ENE | 8:50 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 122° ESE | 4:42 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 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 Tub Springs State Wayside, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.73 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 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Tub Springs State Wayside, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringMountain PassHot Spring
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hyatt Lake Recreation Area6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Dam Group Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Big Elk Guard Station28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground (Or)30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tub Springs State Wayside?
What time is golden hour at Tub Springs State Wayside?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tub Springs State Wayside?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tub Springs State Wayside?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tub Springs State Wayside?
How far is Tub Springs State Wayside from Ashland?
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.