Sky Meadows State Park — a state park in Fauquier County, Virginia — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Shenandoah Farms, about 10.1 km (6.3 mi) away (Sky Meadows State Park lies E of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sky Meadows State Park is a 1,862-acre (754 ha) park in the Virginia state park system. In addition to preserved woodland, meadow and swamp, sections of the park are farmed, in part because it contains the former Mt. Bleak-Skye Farm which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Located in extreme northwest Fauquier County, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Paris, Virginia off U.S. 17, one mile (1.6 km) south of U.S. 50 and seven miles (11 km) north of Interstate 66, it is an International Dark Sky Park located about an hour outside the Washington, D.C. metro region.From the Wikipedia article “Sky Meadows State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sky Meadows State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 120° ESE | 4:54 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Sky Meadows State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:19 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.76 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 76 | 76 | 81 | 95 | 93 | 100 | 106 | 105 | 99 | 98 | 80 | 76 |
| Low °F | 2 | -2 | -1 | 23 | 32 | 45 | 52 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 20 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
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 Sky Meadows State Park, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Botanical GardenMountain PassMountain PassMountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Cave
Mountain PassScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sky Meadows State Park?
What time is golden hour at Sky Meadows State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sky Meadows State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sky Meadows State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sky Meadows State Park?
How far is Sky Meadows State Park from Shenandoah Farms?
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.