Located in Lewis County, Washington, Willapa Hills State Park Trail is a state park. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) SSW of Chehalis.
The Willapa Hills Trail is a 56.0-mile (90.1 km) intercounty rail trail in the U.S. state of Washington that is part of the Willapa Hills State Park. Following an east–west route alongside State Route 6, the tract links Chehalis and South Bend, traveling through or near several small towns and parks along the way. Overseen by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, local cities and towns often maintain areas of the trail within their jurisdictions. The trail is built upon a decommissioned railroad track.From the Wikipedia article “Willapa Hills Trail”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Willapa Hills State Park Trail the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (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 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 54° NE | 9:10 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 125° SE | 4:27 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:25 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:25 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 35m |
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 Willapa Hills State Park Trail, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 5 (suburban 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:38 AM – 3:08 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:00 AM – 2:20 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:37 PM – 1:17 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 11:15 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:10 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 60 | 59 | 70 | 84 | 90 | 95 | 101 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 65 | 57 |
| Low °F | 4 | 5 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 37 | 41 | 42 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.6 | 6.8 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 6.6 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
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 Willapa Hills State Park Trail, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
State ParkWaterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
State Park
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Willapa Hills State Park Trail?
What time is golden hour at Willapa Hills State Park Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at Willapa Hills State Park Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from Willapa Hills State Park Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Willapa Hills State Park Trail?
How far is Willapa Hills State Park Trail from Chehalis?
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.