Beltzville State Park is a state park in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The nearest town is Palmerton, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Beltzville State Park lies N of town).
Beltzville State Park is a 3,002-acre (1,215 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Franklin and Towamensing townships, Carbon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park opened in 1972, and was developed around the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project Beltzville Dam on Pohopoco Creek. The village of Big Creek Valley was vacated in 1966 to make way for Beltzville Lake. Beltzville Lake is a 949 acres (384 ha) with 19.8 miles (31.9 km) of shoreline. Beltzville State Park is 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Lehighton just off U.S. Route 209. The park is at an elevation of 633 feet (193 m). Beltzville Lake is a popular fishing destination. Anglers can fish for striped bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass, trout, walleye, perch, and muskellunge. Pohopoco Creek is stocked with trout by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.From the Wikipedia article “Beltzville State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beltzville State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:38 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Beltzville State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 7:54 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.25 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 65 | 73 | 76 | 90 | 89 | 95 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 94 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | -7 | -11 | -8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 49 | 50 | 38 | 24 | 10 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- 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 Beltzville State Park, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State Park
Fire Lookout
Covered Bridge
State Park
Botanical Garden
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beltzville State Park?
What time is golden hour at Beltzville State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beltzville State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beltzville State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beltzville State Park?
How far is Beltzville State Park from Palmerton?
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.