Located in Lane County, Oregon, Washburne State Wayside is a state park. The nearest town is Harrisburg, about 6.0 km (3.7 mi) away (Washburne State Wayside lies W of town).
Washburne State Wayside was a state park 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Junction City, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the wayside served as a rest stop for travelers on Oregon Route 99W and an interpretive center for the Applegate Trail. The state bought the land for the park in 1926 from William C. and Mae E. Washburne. It was located on the border between Lane and Benton counties. Amenities included picnic tables, a restroom, a nature trail, and interpretive signs about the Applegate Trail. The day-use park, formerly open year-round, was visited by about 131,000 people a year. The nature trail led into a forest of second-growth Douglas fir. This is no longer a park. It is private owned land and the big trees have been logged off.From the Wikipedia article “Washburne State Wayside”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Washburne State Wayside 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) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 55° NE | 9:01 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 123° ESE | 4:37 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 4:14 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Washburne State Wayside, 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 | — | -5° | — |
| 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 | 1:09 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:26 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:11 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.91 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
- 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.
- 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 Washburne State Wayside, closest first.
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
State Park
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Richardson Campground19.2 km (11.9 mi)
- Alsea Falls Recreation Site (Campground)19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Whispering Pines Horse Camp22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Graham Corral Horse Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- South Twin Lake Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Washburne State Wayside?
What time is golden hour at Washburne State Wayside?
Where does the sun rise and set at Washburne State Wayside?
Can you see the Milky Way from Washburne State Wayside?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Washburne State Wayside?
How far is Washburne State Wayside from Harrisburg?
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.