Muskegon is a city of about 38,401 people in Muskegon County, Michigan, at 188 m (617 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:05 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:16 PM – 7:13 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:15 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 7:44 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:58 AM | 8:36 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:24 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:59 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 7:39 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 8:11 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Muskegon
At Muskegon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Muskegon
32 photo locations lie within 80 km of Muskegon. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
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LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Muskegon is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is South Manitou Island Lighthouse, about 198 km (123 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Manitou Island Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| North Manitou Shoal Light Station | Lighthouse | 200 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| Lake Michigan | Lake | 95 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 97 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Udell Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Hodenpyle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Arcadia Lake | Lake | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 3:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:47 PM – 3:37 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 11:35 PM – 2:25 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:39 PM – 12:19 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:34 PM – 10:14 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 64% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (85%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.