Located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Cedar Lake East Beach is a beach. The nearest town is Saint Louis Park, about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away (Cedar Lake East Beach lies ENE of town).
Cedar Lake East Beach, popularly known as Hidden Beach, is an urban beach in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and located on the east side of Cedar Lake. Owing to its relatively secluded location, the beach became known as an enclave of counter-culture in the 1960s and 1970s. Community pressure resulted in the beach undergoing a contentious series of renovations in the 2000s.From the Wikipedia article “Cedar Lake East Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cedar Lake East Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 55° NE | 9:04 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 123° ESE | 4:35 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 48m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Cedar Lake East Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:35 PM – 2:45 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:19 PM – 1:29 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.16 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 46% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 50 | 61 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 96 | 107 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | -37 | -27 | -23 | 4 | 24 | 41 | 46 | 43 | 32 | 12 | -4 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
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 beach
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cedar Lake East Beach, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cedar Lake East Beach?
What time is golden hour at Cedar Lake East Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cedar Lake East Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cedar Lake East Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cedar Lake East Beach?
How far is Cedar Lake East Beach from Saint Louis Park?
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.