Cook Forest State Park — a state park in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 16.5 km (10.3 mi) SSW of Marienville.
Cook Forest State Park is a 8,500-acre (3,440 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Farmington Township, Clarion County, Barnett Township, Forest County and Barnett Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Located just south of the Allegheny National Forest, the park is a heavily wooded area of rolling hills and mountains along the Clarion River in northwestern Pennsylvania. Cook Forest State Park is known for some of America's finest virgin white pine and hemlock timber stands and was once called the "Black Forest" due to the preponderance of evergreen tree coverage. Cook Forest is now a National Natural Landmark and was rated one of America's top 50 state parks by National Geographic Traveler magazine. It was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and its Bureau of Parks as one of "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks".From the Wikipedia article “Cook Forest State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cook Forest State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 57° ENE | 8:54 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 121° ESE | 4:51 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Cook Forest State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 2:11 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.61 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 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 60 | 67 | 76 | 79 | 86 | 91 | 95 | 97 | 94 | 87 | 73 | 66 |
| Low °F | -13 | -13 | -2 | 16 | 23 | 36 | 44 | 44 | 36 | 22 | 2 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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 Cook Forest State Park, closest first.
Fire Lookout
State Park
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Loleta Recreation11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Kelly Pines Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Kellettville Recreation Area (Pa)26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Outflow Recreation Area (Pa)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Tionesta Rec. Area Campground30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cook Forest State Park?
What time is golden hour at Cook Forest State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cook Forest State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cook Forest State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cook Forest State Park?
How far is Cook Forest State Park from Marienville?
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.