Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center is a state park in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It sits roughly 8.7 km (5.4 mi) WSW of Mount Holly Springs.
Kings Gap Environmental Education Center is a 2,531-acre (1,024 ha) Pennsylvania state park located 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from Pennsylvania Route 233 on South Mountain in Cooke, Dickinson, and Penn townships, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is one of four environmental education centers operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, where the department conducts environmental education programs for students, teachers, and the public.From the Wikipedia article “Kings Gap Environmental Education Center”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 121° ESE | 4:47 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.94 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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center?
What time is golden hour at Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center?
How far is Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center from Mount Holly Springs?
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.