Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area — a state park in Bureau County, Illinois — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Kewanee, about 8.9 km (5.5 mi) away (Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area lies NNE of town).
Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area is an Illinois state park on 1,365 acres (552 ha) in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The park also has a 58-acre (23 ha) lake (Johnson Lake) with various types of fish. The lake has boat rentals and a maximum depth of 21 feet (6.4 m). The park has many trails, and a campground. Ryan's round barn has a tour every year in the park. Near the round barn, is a scenic 3-acre (1.2 ha) pond.From the Wikipedia article “Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 57° ENE | 8:37 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:34 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:46 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:45 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 7:52 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.13 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 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 | 62 | 67 | 80 | 84 | 93 | 103 | 108 | 103 | 97 | 88 | 75 | 69 |
| Low °F | -36 | -18 | -10 | 18 | 27 | 40 | 47 | 46 | 35 | 16 | 7 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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.
- 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 Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area?
How far is Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area from Kewanee?
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.