T. O. Fuller State Park — a state park in Shelby County, Tennessee — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.1 km (4.4 mi) WSW of New South Memphis.
T.O. Fuller State Park is a state park in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It consists of 1,138 acres (461 ha) of mostly forest located in South Memphis on Mitchell Road. It is the only state park within the city limits and is suitable for wildlife. The park is named in honor of Thomas O. Fuller, who spent his life empowering and educating African Americans. The park facilities were originally built for the use of African Americans in the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It was the first state park in the United States east of the Mississippi River that was open to African Americans. CCC camp number 1464-SP-10, which was composed of African Americans, initiated construction of the park facilities in 1938. During excavation for a proposed swimming pool in 1940, CCC workers unearthed evidence of a prehistoric village. The site has since been developed as...From the Wikipedia article “T. O. Fuller State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At T. O. Fuller 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 60° ENE | 8:19 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 119° ESE | 4:53 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 49m |
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 T. O. Fuller State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:53 AM – 4:53 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 4:17 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:04 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 2:29 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 12:34 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.56 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 74 | 77 | 82 | 93 | 93 | 105 | 107 | 110 | 100 | 96 | 85 | 77 |
| Low °F | 6 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 34 | 53 | 59 | 54 | 43 | 28 | 18 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.9 |
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.
- 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 T. O. Fuller State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph T. O. Fuller State Park?
What time is golden hour at T. O. Fuller State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at T. O. Fuller State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from T. O. Fuller State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at T. O. Fuller State Park?
How far is T. O. Fuller State Park from New South Memphis?
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.