Holly River State Park — a state park in Webster County, West Virginia — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 22 km (13 mi) NNE of Webster Springs.
Holly River State Park is a state park located in Webster County, West Virginia. Situated on the Left Fork of the Holly River near the town of Hacker Valley, it is the second largest park in the West Virginia state park system with a total of 8,294 acres (3,356 ha). The park features over 42 miles (68 km) of hiking trails, ten vacation cabins, an 88-unit campground, and many recreation and picnic areas.From the Wikipedia article “Holly River State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Holly River State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 59° ENE | 8:50 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 120° ESE | 5:04 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Holly River State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 2:29 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 54% 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 | 69 | 71 | 78 | 81 | 98 | 92 | 97 | 95 | 94 | 91 | 77 | 74 |
| Low °F | -6 | -5 | -4 | 19 | 26 | 38 | 48 | 45 | 36 | 25 | 13 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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 Holly River State Park, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gerald Freeman Campground18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Bakers Run Campground 21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Bakers Run Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Bulltown Camp25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Burnsville Lake Shelters25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Holly River State Park?
What time is golden hour at Holly River State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Holly River State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Holly River State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Holly River State Park?
How far is Holly River State Park from Webster Springs?
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.