William M. Tugman State Park is a state park in Coos County, Oregon. It sits roughly 2.8 km (1.7 mi) N of Lakeside.
William M. Tugman State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon. Administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), the park borders Eel Lake, about 8 miles (13 km) south of Reedsport near U.S. Route 101. Tugman Park has 94 campsites for recreational vehicles (RVs) as well as 16 yurts for hikers and bikers; a day-use area, a boat ramp, a fishing dock, and a hiking trail. Activities on or near the lake include fishing, swimming, boating, and wildlife watching. The lake supports populations of largemouth bass, crappie, stocked rainbow trout, steelhead (sea-run rainbow trout), and Coho salmon, the latter of which must be released if caught. William M. Tugman (1894–1961) was a journalist from Eugene and Reedsport. In 1957, he became the first chairman of the OPRD Advisory Committee, which made recommendations to the governor about state parks.From the Wikipedia article “William M. Tugman State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At William M. Tugman State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 56° NE | 9:02 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 123° ESE | 4:44 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 57m |
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 William M. Tugman State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:08 AM – 3:48 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 3:12 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:52 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:47 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 64% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 65 | 67 | 75 | 75 | 79 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 78 | 65 | 62 |
| Low °F | 31 | 30 | 35 | 37 | 41 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 33 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 9.9 |
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.
- 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 William M. Tugman State Park, closest first.
Lake
Lighthouse
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Lake
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eel Creek Campground1.7 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- Spinreel4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Spinreel Sand Camping4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Umpqua Sand Camping4.4 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Hauser Sand Camping13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph William M. Tugman State Park?
What time is golden hour at William M. Tugman State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at William M. Tugman State Park?
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How far is William M. Tugman State Park from Lakeside?
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.