Located in Luce County, Michigan, Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) is a sand dunes at about 196 m (643 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 35 km (22 mi) N of Newberry.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 54° NE | 9:40 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:24 AM | 125° SE | 4:57 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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
Dunes need low sun: ripples and ridgelines only appear when side-light casts shadows, so shoot within an hour of sunrise or sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:49 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:12 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:30 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:36 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:38 PM | 10:17 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:11 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:41 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:27 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:21 AM | 9:12 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 8h 35m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:59 AM – 6:09 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:08 AM – 3:48 AM | 1.7 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:30 AM – 2:50 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:07 AM – 1:47 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:55 PM – 11:45 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:40 PM – 9:40 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 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 August as the clearest month (about 66% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 40 | 44 | 68 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 92 | 86 | 82 | 77 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -11 | -16 | -14 | 6 | 27 | 32 | 38 | 44 | 35 | 24 | 4 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
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 sand dunes
- Protect gear from blowing sand; avoid changing lenses in the wind.
- Sand surfaces get extremely hot in summer afternoons.
- Walk along ridges rather than across faces to avoid leaving footprints in your future compositions.
- A telephoto isolates S-curves and layered ridges.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn for comfortable temperatures; full moon nights give soft light on the sand.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lens blower, Sun protection, Water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
What time is golden hour at Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
How far is Two-Hearted River Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) from Newberry?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.