Located in Sauk County, Wisconsin, Point of Rocks is a rock formation. It sits roughly 4.3 km (2.7 mi) S of West Baraboo. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Point of Rocks is a geologically significant outcropping located along U.S. Route 12 (US 12) in the Town of Baraboo in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, southwest of the city of Baraboo. The formation is made up of Baraboo Quartzite and is part of the Baraboo Range; it dates from the Precambrian and is roughly 1.7 billion years old. Along with the nearby Van Hise Rock, the formation was instrumental in the University of Wisconsin–Madison's development of the field of geology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The formation is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Point of Rocks (Baraboo, Wisconsin)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Point of Rocks 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) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 56° NE | 8:44 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 122° ESE | 4:26 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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Point of Rocks, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:51 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:26 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:29 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.39 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 48% 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.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 49 | 65 | 78 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Low °F | -43 | -25 | -19 | 10 | 26 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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 rock formation
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Point of Rocks, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Lake
Natural ArchState Park
Ghost Town
Canyon
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Point of Rocks?
What time is golden hour at Point of Rocks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Point of Rocks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Point of Rocks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Point of Rocks?
How far is Point of Rocks from West Baraboo?
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.