Tobyhanna State Park — a state park in Pike County, Pennsylvania — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.8 km (5.5 mi) E of Big Bass Lake.
Tobyhanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 5,440 acres (2,201 ha) mostly in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, with a small portion of the park in Dreher and Lehigh townships in Wayne County, all in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the 170-acre (69 ha) Tobyhanna Lake and a portion of Tobyhanna Creek. It is located 2.1 miles (3.4 km) north of the town of Tobyhanna, with the main park entrance on Pennsylvania Route 423, and a portion (Yellow hiking trail) that borders on Pennsylvania Route 196. The park lies immediately adjacent to Gouldsboro State Park, Pennsylvania State Game Lands 312, and State Game Land 127.From the Wikipedia article “Tobyhanna State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tobyhanna 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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 57° ENE | 8:39 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:36 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 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 Tobyhanna 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 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 | 5:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:47 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:55 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:46 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 7:53 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: 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 ≈ 20.5 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 62 | 69 | 71 | 84 | 85 | 89 | 97 | 98 | 93 | 85 | 74 | 66 |
| Low °F | -15 | -20 | -5 | 17 | 26 | 35 | 44 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 4 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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 Tobyhanna State Park, closest first.
National Forest
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tobyhanna State Park?
What time is golden hour at Tobyhanna State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tobyhanna State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tobyhanna State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tobyhanna State Park?
How far is Tobyhanna State Park from Big Bass Lake?
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.