Lake Chelan State Park — a state park in Chelan County, Washington — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Granite Falls, about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away (Lake Chelan State Park lies SE of town).
Lake Chelan State Park is a public recreation area covering 139 acres (56 ha) on the southwest shore of Lake Chelan in Chelan County, Washington, on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. The state park was created with the state's initial purchase of land in 1942; it opened in 1943. The park offers camping, picnicking, hiking, boating, and water activities.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Chelan State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Chelan State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 53° NE | 9:04 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 125° SE | 4:11 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:21 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:43 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:16 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:46 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Lake Chelan State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:36 AM – 4:06 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:37 AM – 2:57 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:11 AM – 1:51 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:40 PM – 12:50 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 10:50 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 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 4.5+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). July 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 | 51 | 51 | 64 | 75 | 86 | 95 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 78 | 60 | 45 |
| Low °F | -11 | -4 | -1 | 16 | 22 | 31 | 37 | 39 | 28 | 12 | -6 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Lake Chelan State Park, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire LookoutFire Lookout
State ParkWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Snowberry Bowl Campground12.0 km (7.5 mi)
- Steliko Lookout18.9 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
- Tyee Lookout21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Pine Flats Group Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Lake Creek Campground - Entiat River25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Chelan State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lake Chelan State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Chelan State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Chelan State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Chelan State Park?
How far is Lake Chelan State Park from Granite Falls?
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.