Chippewa National Forest is a national forest in Cass County, Minnesota. The nearest town is Cohasset, about 45 km (28 mi) away (Chippewa National Forest lies W of town).
Chippewa National Forest is a national forest located in north central Minnesota, United States, in the counties of Itasca, Cass and Beltrami. Forest headquarters are located in Cass Lake, Minnesota. There are local ranger district offices in Blackduck, Deer River and Walker.From the Wikipedia article “Chippewa National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chippewa National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 53° NE | 9:18 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 125° SE | 4:29 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 28m |
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
Forests suit soft light — overcast days reduce contrast under the canopy, and morning fog adds depth.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 55m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Chippewa National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | 5:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:39 AM – 4:29 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:48 AM – 3:18 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:15 AM – 2:15 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:49 PM – 1:09 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:33 PM – 11:13 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 43 | 47 | 75 | 80 | 86 | 90 | 101 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 67 | 42 |
| Low °F | -44 | -34 | -31 | 4 | 24 | 35 | 44 | 39 | 28 | 7 | -9 | -34 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
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 national forest
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Dispersed camping is often allowed, which makes sunrise and night shoots easier — check local rules.
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
Suggested gear: Polarizer, Tripod, Offline maps, Insect repellent. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Recreational drones are generally allowed in national forests outside designated wilderness, subject to FAA rules and temporary flight restrictions — wildfire TFRs are common in summer.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Chippewa National Forest, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
Lake
State Park
Fire Lookout
State ParkState Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Leech Lake Rec Area10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Winnie Campground - Usfs12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Tamarack Point Campground13.2 km (8.2 mi)
- Winnie Dam Campground - Usace15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Deer Lake21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chippewa National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Chippewa National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chippewa National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chippewa National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chippewa National Forest?
How far is Chippewa National Forest from Cohasset?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.