Located in Northampton County, Virginia, Kiptopeke State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Cape Charles, about 11.7 km (7.3 mi) away (Kiptopeke State Park lies SSE of town).
Kiptopeke State Park is a state park located in the southern end of the Eastern Shore of Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula in Northampton County, near Cape Charles. The park offers recreational access to the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay with its shoreline, beach, boat ramps and piers, as well as unique migratory bird habitat along the East Coast flyway. It is also known for the concrete ships sunk to protect the former ferry port from erosion during severe storms.From the Wikipedia article “Kiptopeke State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kiptopeke State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 59° ENE | 8:28 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 119° ESE | 4:51 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Kiptopeke State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.3 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.86 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 61 | 63 | 69 | 78 | 84 | 89 | 93 | 90 | 87 | 84 | 71 | 66 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 67 | 68 | 56 | 45 | 32 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Kiptopeke State Park, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kiptopeke State Park?
What time is golden hour at Kiptopeke State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kiptopeke State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kiptopeke State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kiptopeke State Park?
How far is Kiptopeke State Park from Cape Charles?
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.