Penn-Roosevelt State Park — a state park in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Boalsburg, about 9.4 km (5.8 mi) away (Penn-Roosevelt State Park lies SE of town).
Penn-Roosevelt State Park is a 41 acres (17 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Rothrock State Forest. Penn-Roosevelt State Park is 6 miles (9.7 km) from U.S. Route 322 on either Crowfield Road or Stone Creek Road.From the Wikipedia article “Penn-Roosevelt State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Penn-Roosevelt 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) | 5:40 AM | 58° ENE | 8:46 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| 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 | 4:47 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 | 4:26 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 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 | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:13 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 27m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:22 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 | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 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 Penn-Roosevelt 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 ≈ 21.11 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 Penn-Roosevelt State Park, closest first.
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Botanical Garden
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State ParkScenic Viewpoint
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Penn-Roosevelt State Park?
What time is golden hour at Penn-Roosevelt State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Penn-Roosevelt State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Penn-Roosevelt State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Penn-Roosevelt State Park?
How far is Penn-Roosevelt State Park from Boalsburg?
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.