Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) is a sand dunes in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin at about 188 m (617 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Two Rivers, about 5.3 km (3.3 mi) away (Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) lies NE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 56° NE | 8:38 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 123° ESE | 4:15 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:46 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 3:16 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 2:33 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:18 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:19 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:12 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.64 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 59% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 45 | 53 | 69 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 92 | 92 | 86 | 79 | 67 | 58 |
| Low °F | -23 | -15 | -11 | 16 | 29 | 37 | 50 | 51 | 40 | 29 | 13 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
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 sand dunes
- 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.
- Wind erases tracks overnight — mornings have the cleanest sand.
- Protect gear from blowing sand; avoid changing lenses in the wind.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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
Other locations within 25 km of Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor), closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Sand Dunes
Lighthouse
CaveFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
What time is golden hour at Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)?
How far is Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) from Two Rivers?
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.