Located in Cook County, Minnesota, Mount Josephine is a mountain peak at about 409 m (1,342 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Grand Portage National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Grand Marais, about 57 km (35 mi) away (Mount Josephine lies ENE of town).
Mount Josephine is a peak in the Sawtooth Mountains of northeastern Minnesota, in the United States. It overlooks Grand Portage Bay of Lake Superior.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Josephine (Minnesota)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Josephine the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:00 AM | 53° NE | 9:02 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 126° SE | 4:09 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:18 AM | 4:59 AM | 5:48 AM | 8:12 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:42 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 4:36 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:13 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:43 PM | 8h 24m |
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 Mount Josephine, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:37 AM – 2:47 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:16 AM – 1:36 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:42 PM – 12:42 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 10:40 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 73% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (89%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 42 | 41 | 54 | 53 | 62 | 64 | 75 | 74 | 72 | 64 | 56 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -10 | -6 | 14 | 26 | 36 | 39 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 13 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 2.2 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Josephine, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Natural ArchWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Josephine?
What time is golden hour at Mount Josephine?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Josephine?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Josephine?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Josephine?
How far is Mount Josephine from Grand Marais?
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.