Moran State Park — a state park in San Juan County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Friday Harbor, about 19.5 km (12.1 mi) away (Moran State Park lies NE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Moran State Park is a public recreation area on Orcas Island in Puget Sound's San Juan Islands in the state of Washington, United States. The state park encompasses over 5,000 acres of various terrain including forests, wetlands, bogs, hills, and lakes. It is the largest public recreation area in the San Juan Islands and the fourth largest state park in the state. A park focal point is the observation tower atop Mount Constitution, the highest point in San Juan County at 2,407 feet.From the Wikipedia article “Moran State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Moran State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 52° NE | 9:18 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 126° SE | 4:18 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:51 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:59 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:53 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 18m |
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 Moran State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:01 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:58 AM – 2:48 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:59 PM – 2:39 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:07 AM – 12:47 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 10:37 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 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 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 58 | 68 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 78 | 64 | 58 |
| Low °F | 10 | 15 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 6.7 |
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.
- 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 Moran State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Moran State Park?
What time is golden hour at Moran State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Moran State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Moran State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Moran State Park?
How far is Moran State Park from Friday Harbor?
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.