Steamboat Rock State Park — a state park in Grant County, Washington — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 10.5 km (6.5 mi) SW of Electric City.
Steamboat Rock State Park is a 5,043-acre (2,041 ha) public recreation area located near the north end of Banks Lake in the Grand Coulee. The state park takes its name from the landscape's dominating feature, Steamboat Rock, a basalt butte that rises 800 feet (240 m) above the lake which nearly completely surrounds it. The butte's plateau covers more than 600 acres (240 ha) and was used by nomadic Native American tribes and by early settlers. During the last ice age, the monolith stood as an island in the new bed of the Columbia River where it had been diverted by ice dams. Once the dams burst creating massive floods and the Scablands, the Columbia returned to its original course, leaving Steamboat Rock as a prominent feature of the dry Grand Coulee.From the Wikipedia article “Steamboat Rock State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Steamboat Rock 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) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:58 AM | 53° NE | 9:00 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 125° SE | 4:07 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:32 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:42 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:17 AM | 4:58 AM | 5:46 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:39 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:35 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:12 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:41 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 Steamboat Rock 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 3:32 AM – 4:02 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:33 AM – 2:53 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:07 AM – 1:47 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:36 PM – 12:46 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 10:46 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.84 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 27% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 53 | 58 | 71 | 84 | 94 | 103 | 105 | 103 | 96 | 84 | 67 | 52 |
| Low °F | -12 | -1 | 5 | 23 | 29 | 37 | 45 | 45 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Steamboat Rock State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
Ghost TownWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Steamboat Rock State Park?
What time is golden hour at Steamboat Rock State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Steamboat Rock State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Steamboat Rock State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Steamboat Rock State Park?
How far is Steamboat Rock State Park from Electric City?
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.