Potholes State Park — a state park in Grant County, Washington — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.3 km (10.7 mi) S of Cascade Valley.
Potholes State Park is a public recreation area on the southern shore of Potholes Reservoir, located 13 miles (21 km) south of Moses Lake and 13 miles (21 km) northwest of Othello in Grant County, Washington. The state park was created following the completion of the O'Sullivan Dam in 1949. The park's 773 acres (313 ha) include 6,000 feet (1,800 m) of shoreline and facilities for camping, hiking, boating, swimming, fishing, and other water activities. The park has access to Potholes Reservoir.From the Wikipedia article “Potholes State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Potholes 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 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 53° NE | 8:57 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 125° SE | 4:12 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 30m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:23 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:50 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:18 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:45 PM | 8h 32m |
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 Potholes State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 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 | 5:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:18 AM – 4:08 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:25 AM – 2:55 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:50 PM – 2:00 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:25 PM – 12:55 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 10:51 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 26% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 64 | 64 | 76 | 89 | 99 | 108 | 110 | 109 | 102 | 87 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 33 | 42 | 49 | 48 | 34 | 19 | 15 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.6 |
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 Potholes State Park, closest first.
Lake
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Potholes State Park?
What time is golden hour at Potholes State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Potholes State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Potholes State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Potholes State Park?
How far is Potholes State Park from Cascade Valley?
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.