Onalaska is a city of about 18,468 people in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, at 216 m (709 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:35 PM – 6:33 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 | 7:37 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 56m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Onalaska
At Onalaska the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (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 Onalaska
29 photo locations lie within 80 km of Onalaska. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
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The sky over central Onalaska is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Big Lake, about 54 km (34 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake | Lake | 54 km (34 mi) | 2 |
| Wildcat Mountain State Park | State Park | 58 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Yellow River Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 80 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 89 km (55 mi) | 2 |
| Spook Cave | Cave | 95 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Kurth | Ghost Town | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 99 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Hamilton Falls | Waterfall | 104 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 16° |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 11:15 PM – 2:55 AM | 3.7 | 17° |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 47% 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.