Stuart Island State Park is a state park in San Juan County, Washington. The nearest town is Friday Harbor, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Stuart Island State Park lies NW of town).
Stuart Island State Park in San Juan County, Washington is a marine camping park in the Washington State Park System. It consists of 433 acres (175 ha) of land and waterways on and around Stuart Island, named for Frederick D. Stuart, clerk to explorer Charles Wilkes.From the Wikipedia article “Stuart Island State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stuart Island 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) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 52° NE | 9:20 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:04 AM | 126° SE | 4:20 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:53 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:10 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:18 PM | 10:00 PM | 16h 08m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:55 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:55 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 Stuart Island 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 | 4:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:00 AM – 2:50 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:01 AM – 2:41 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:09 AM – 12:49 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:39 PM – 10:39 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 ≈ 21.67 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 | 53 | 55 | 65 | 76 | 81 | 85 | 93 | 87 | 82 | 70 | 60 | 56 |
| Low °F | 14 | 19 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 43 | 47 | 47 | 42 | 32 | 15 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 7.7 | 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Stuart Island State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
LighthouseState ParkLighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stuart Island State Park?
What time is golden hour at Stuart Island State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stuart Island State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stuart Island State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stuart Island State Park?
How far is Stuart Island 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.