Pipestem Resort State Park is a state park in Summers County, West Virginia. The nearest town is Hinton, about 18.3 km (11.4 mi) away (Pipestem Resort State Park lies SSW of town).
Pipestem Resort State Park is a 4,050-acre (1,640 ha) state park located in southern West Virginia, on the border between Mercer and Summers counties. The park was built with grants provided by the Area Redevelopment Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce under the administration of President John F. Kennedy. It officially opened on Memorial Day 1970. It is located in the gorge of the Bluestone River. The Park name derives from pipestem, or narrowleaf meadowsweet (Spiraea alba), a locally common shrub historically used for making pipe stems. The park features two hotels, one of which may be reached only by an aerial tramway to the bottom of the gorge, 26 fully equipped wood cabins, a regular and a par-3 golf course, several restaurants, and other recreational activities, including its own stable of horses. The park's nature center features displays of native plants and...From the Wikipedia article “Pipestem Resort State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pipestem Resort 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 59° ENE | 8:49 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 120° ESE | 5:10 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Pipestem Resort State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:45 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:35 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 78 | 75 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | -5 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Pipestem Resort State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
WaterfallGhost Town
State ParkGhost Town
State ParkWaterfallGhost TownWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pipestem Resort State Park?
What time is golden hour at Pipestem Resort State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pipestem Resort State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pipestem Resort State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pipestem Resort State Park?
How far is Pipestem Resort State Park from Hinton?
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.