Lake Sammamish State Park is a state park in King County, Washington. It sits roughly 3.6 km (2.2 mi) ESE of West Lake Sammamish.
Lake Sammamish State Park is a park at the south end of Lake Sammamish, in King County, Washington, United States. The park, which is administered by the Washington State Park System, covers an area of 512 acres (0.80 sq mi) and has 6,858 feet (2,090 m) of waterfront; Issaquah Creek meets with Lake Sammamish within the park. It is a popular location for boating and watersport activities, such as waterskiing. The State Park is accessible from Interstate 90 at exit 15 and the north end of State Route 900. It offers about 250 parking stalls for vehicle/trailer combinations. Local access uses East Lake Sammamish Parkway SE and NW Sammamish Road; both are separate alignments of former State Route 901. Public transit (bus) riders can access the park via Metro Transit routes 200, 216, 217, and 927. The state park is the center of a controversy over the ecological benefits of beavers.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Sammamish State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Sammamish 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 307° (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) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 53° NE | 9:10 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 125° SE | 4:20 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Sammamish State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:42 AM – 4:22 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:41 AM – 3:01 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:12 AM – 2:02 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:43 PM – 1:03 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:55 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: 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 ≈ 18.4 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 64 | 63 | 71 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 100 | 91 | 91 | 79 | 71 | 60 |
| Low °F | 13 | 15 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 46 | 39 | 28 | 16 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.7 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 6.8 |
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
- 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 Lake Sammamish State Park, closest first.
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Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Mountain Peak
Lake
Botanical Garden
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Sammamish State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lake Sammamish State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Sammamish State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Sammamish State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Sammamish State Park?
How far is Lake Sammamish State Park from West Lake Sammamish?
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.