Dixon Springs State Park — a state park in Pope County, Illinois — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) E of Vienna.
Dixon Springs State Park is an Illinois state park in Pope County, Illinois, United States, and is one of several state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The park is on a giant block of rock that was dropped 200 feet (61 m) along a fault that extends northwesterly across Pope County. The 801-acre (324 ha) park is about 10 miles (16 km) west of Golconda on Illinois Route 146, near its junction with Illinois Route 145. The first land acquisition was in 1946.From the Wikipedia article “Dixon Springs State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dixon Springs State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:19 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 119° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Dixon Springs State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 71 | 72 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 108 | 109 | 105 | 101 | 94 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | 5 | 23 | 35 | 43 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 26 | 13 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
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 state park
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Dixon Springs State Park, closest first.
National Forest
Fire Lookout
Natural Arch
WaterfallNatural Arch
CanyonWaterfall
Wilderness AreaWilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dixon Springs State Park?
What time is golden hour at Dixon Springs State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dixon Springs State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dixon Springs State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dixon Springs State Park?
How far is Dixon Springs State Park from Vienna?
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.