Located in King County, Washington, Saltwater State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 3.2 km (2.0 mi) S of Des Moines.
Saltwater State Park is a 137-acre (55 ha) plot of second-growth timber on Puget Sound in the city of Des Moines, Washington, United States. The main attraction is 1,445 feet (440 m) of saltwater beachfront, including a sandy swimming beach in the southwest corner, and rocky tideflats along the west with a submerged artificial reef that is popular with scuba divers. Overlooked by most visitors is the steep ravine of McSorley (formerly Smith) Creek which winds inland in a gentle "S" curve joined by three tributary streams. About 30 campsites are situated on a road that parallels the creek, serving the public on a first-come-first-served basis. On both the north and south sides of the ravine there is a network of hiking trails which follow up the side creeks, rise through jungles of stinging nettles, skirt the edges of cliffs and ridges, and cross wooded plateaus. As of 2009,...From the Wikipedia article “Saltwater State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Saltwater 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) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 53° NE | 9:10 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 125° SE | 4:22 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 7:53 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Saltwater State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 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 8 (city sky), 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 | 5:37 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:40 AM – 3:10 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:07 AM – 2:07 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:41 PM – 1:01 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 11:05 PM | 0.7 | 12° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.36 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 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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Saltwater State Park, closest first.
Lake
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lake
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
LakeLighthouse
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Saltwater State Park?
What time is golden hour at Saltwater State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Saltwater State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Saltwater State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Saltwater State Park?
How far is Saltwater State Park from Des Moines?
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.