Standing Stone State Park — a state park in Overton County, Tennessee — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Celina, about 11.9 km (7.4 mi) away (Standing Stone State Park lies SE of town).
Standing Stone State Park is a state park in Overton County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of 855 acres (3.46 km2) along the shoreline of the man-made 69-acre (0.28 km2) Standing Stone Lake. The 11,000-acre (45 km2) Standing Stone State Forest surrounds the park. The park and forest were developed in the 1930s as part of New Deal-era initiatives to relocate impoverished farmers and restore forests from degraded and heavily eroded lands. The park was named after the Standing Stone, a mysterious rock believed to be of Native American origin or importance that once stood along the old Walton Road at what is now Monterey. The park offers canoeing, camping, lodging, hiking and many other activities.From the Wikipedia article “Standing Stone State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Standing Stone State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 60° ENE | 8:04 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 119° ESE | 4:31 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:02 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 41m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Standing Stone State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:23 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:08 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 95 | 107 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 96 | 85 | 73 |
| Low °F | 1 | -2 | 5 | 23 | 34 | 47 | 54 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 8 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.0 |
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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Standing Stone State Park, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
State Park
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pleasant Grove Recreation Area7.8 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Dale Hollow Damsite8.3 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Dale Hollow Lake - Primitive Camping12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Willow Grove Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Lillydale Campground And Day Use17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Standing Stone State Park?
What time is golden hour at Standing Stone State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Standing Stone State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Standing Stone State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Standing Stone State Park?
How far is Standing Stone State Park from Celina?
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.