Hawkeye Point is a mountain peak in Osceola County, Iowa at about 509 m (1,670 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 7.6 km (4.7 mi) NNE of Sibley.
Hawkeye Point is the highest natural point in Iowa at 1,670 feet (510 m). It is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Sibley on the eastern side of SR 60 and approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Iowa-Minnesota state border. The high ground lies 100 feet (30 m) due south of an old silo. The land that includes the highpoint was donated by the Sterler family, who worked this land for many decades, to Osceola County with the stipulation that the land be turned into a park. Osceola County, through its Economic Development Commission and Hawkeye Point Committee, has removed a few structures that were deemed to be hazardous to public safety including the old hog feed bunker at the highpoint site and a few small barns. They have erected an informational kiosk which highlights the family and the county and features a display of license plates from the 50 states sent in over the...From the Wikipedia article “Hawkeye Point”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hawkeye Point 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.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 56° NE | 9:08 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 122° ESE | 4:50 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Hawkeye Point, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:50 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:53 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:27 PM – 3:17 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:15 PM – 1:55 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:59 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 65 | 80 | 87 | 92 | 99 | 104 | 102 | 97 | 86 | 75 | 55 |
| Low °F | -34 | -21 | -20 | 5 | 25 | 43 | 47 | 42 | 33 | 12 | -3 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 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 mountain peak
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hawkeye Point?
What time is golden hour at Hawkeye Point?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hawkeye Point?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hawkeye Point?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hawkeye Point?
How far is Hawkeye Point from Sibley?
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.