Greenwood Furnace State Park is a state park in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. It sits roughly 5.5 km (3.4 mi) NW of Belleville.
Greenwood Furnace State Park is a 423-acre (171 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park is near the historic iron making center of Greenwood Furnace. The park includes the ghost town of Greenwood that grew up around the ironworks, old roads and charcoal hearths. Greenwood Furnace State Park is adjacent to Rothrock State Forest and on the western edge of an area of Central Pennsylvania known as the Seven Mountains. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 305, 20 miles (32 km) south of State College. Within the park is Greenwood Lake, a 6-acre (2.4 ha) lake that is stocked with trout and which allows ice fishing during the winter. The dam that forms the lake is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Greenwood Furnace State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...From the Wikipedia article “Greenwood Furnace State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Greenwood Furnace 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 58° ENE | 8:46 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 121° ESE | 4:48 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Greenwood Furnace 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:03 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: 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 ≈ 21.25 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 September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 78 | 87 | 92 | 95 | 101 | 100 | 96 | 92 | 77 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -14 | -1 | 20 | 27 | 39 | 49 | 48 | 36 | 21 | 5 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Greenwood Furnace State Park, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Botanical Garden
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
Cave
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Greenwood Furnace State Park?
What time is golden hour at Greenwood Furnace State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Greenwood Furnace State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Greenwood Furnace State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Greenwood Furnace State Park?
How far is Greenwood Furnace State Park from Belleville?
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.