Middle Fork River Forest Preserve is a dark sky place in Vermilion County, Illinois. The nearest town is Gifford, about 9.6 km (6.0 mi) away (Middle Fork River Forest Preserve lies NNE of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Wikidata describes it as: “park in Champaign County, Illinois, United States of America”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Middle Fork River Forest Preserve the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 58° ENE | 8:26 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 121° ESE | 4:29 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:34 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 1:51 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 7:44 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.26 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 81 | 83 | 92 | 106 | 106 | 99 | 100 | 89 | 77 | 69 |
| Low °F | -21 | -16 | -6 | 20 | 27 | 36 | 47 | 45 | 36 | 21 | 10 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
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 dark sky place
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Middle Fork River Forest Preserve?
What time is golden hour at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve?
Where does the sun rise and set at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve?
Can you see the Milky Way from Middle Fork River Forest Preserve?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve?
How far is Middle Fork River Forest Preserve from Gifford?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via Wikidata). 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.