Located in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, Yellow Creek State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Clymer, about 11.2 km (7.0 mi) away (Yellow Creek State Park lies S of town).
Yellow Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 2,981 acres (1,206 ha) in Brush Valley and Cherryhill Townships, Indiana County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park encompasses parts of Yellow Creek and Little Yellow Creek. The old Kittanning Path goes through the parkland. The park was established in 1963. An additional 159 acres (64 ha) of developed land were purchased in 1982. Yellow Creek Lake, a 720-acre (290 ha) man-made lake, was built in 1969 by an earth and rock dam on Yellow Creek. Yellow Creek State Park is between the boroughs of Ebensburg and Indiana on U.S. Route 422.From the Wikipedia article “Yellow Creek State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Yellow Creek 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 58° ENE | 8:51 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 121° ESE | 4:53 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 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 Yellow Creek 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 21° 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 | 5:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:44 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:34 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:08 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.29 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 83 | 93 | 94 | 97 | 97 | 94 | 89 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | 0 | 20 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 47 | 36 | 23 | 11 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Yellow Creek State Park, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
WaterfallWaterfall
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Yellow Creek State Park?
What time is golden hour at Yellow Creek State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Yellow Creek State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Yellow Creek State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Yellow Creek State Park?
How far is Yellow Creek State Park from Clymer?
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.