Located in Pacific County, Washington, Fort Columbia State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Astoria, about 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away (Fort Columbia State Park lies NW of town).
Fort Columbia State Park is a public recreation area and historic preserve at the site of the former Fort Columbia, located on Chinook Point at the mouth of the Columbia River in Chinook, Washington. The 618-acre (250 ha) state park features twelve historic wood-frame buildings from the fort complex as well as an interpretive center and hiking trails. The park's grounds are located over a tunneled section of U.S. Route 101.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Columbia State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Columbia State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 54° NE | 9:12 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 124° SE | 4:33 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 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 | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 38m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Fort Columbia State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:32 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:34 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:28 AM – 3:18 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:35 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:35 PM – 1:25 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 11:16 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.39 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 57 | 60 | 67 | 79 | 81 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 94 | 80 | 63 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 45 | 36 | 26 | 21 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.8 | 6.9 | 8.4 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 11.5 | 10.9 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Fort Columbia State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Ghost Town
Beach
State Park
LighthouseLighthouse
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Columbia State Park?
What time is golden hour at Fort Columbia State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Columbia State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Columbia State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Columbia State Park?
How far is Fort Columbia State Park from Astoria?
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.