Northland Arboretum is a botanical garden in Crow Wing County, Minnesota at about 365 m (1,198 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Brainerd, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Northland Arboretum lies W of town).
The Northland Arboretum is a 413-acre non-profit arboretum and nature reserve in Brainerd, Minnesota, United States. The arboretum was founded in 1972 when the Brainerd Landfill closed; that original 40-acre (160,000 m2) landfill site now supports a grassland. The Arboretum now contains a Red Pine plantation and an area of Jack Pine savanna, with nearly 20 kilometers of trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, of which nearly 5 kilometers are lit for evening skiing. Other areas include a native tree trail, youth gardens, a wildflower trail, and a pond with arched bridge. The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 200 acres (0.81 km2) within the arboretum. Arboretum plants include woodland wildflowers such as shinleaf, rattlesnake-plantain, blue-bead lily, and pink lady's slipper; prairie vegetation such as silky prairie clover, birdfoot violet, blue-eyed grass, gayfeather, and pasque...From the Wikipedia article “Northland Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Northland Arboretum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (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) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 54° NE | 9:14 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 124° SE | 4:34 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 00m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 47m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 37m |
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 Northland Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | 5:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:29 AM – 3:19 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:36 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 1:26 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 11:17 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 9:24 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.54 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 44 | 54 | 77 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 105 | 99 | 94 | 84 | 67 | 44 |
| Low °F | -43 | -33 | -31 | 4 | 24 | 38 | 45 | 41 | 29 | 6 | -8 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
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 botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Northland Arboretum, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Northland Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Northland Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Northland Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Northland Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Northland Arboretum?
How far is Northland Arboretum from Brainerd?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.