Tunnel Hill State Trail — a state park in Saline County, Illinois — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Eldorado, about 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away (Tunnel Hill State Trail lies SW of town).
The Tunnel Hill State Trail is a bicycle trail running from Eldorado to Karnak, Illinois. The trail runs along the former bed of a part of the Cairo and Vincennes Railroad, a transportation unit led during its early years by Civil War General Ambrose Burnside. The Cairo & Vincennes became a branch line of the Southern Railway before its trail section shut down in the late 1900s. The northeast end of the trail is in Eldorado, on Trolley Road just north of U.S. Route 45. (). The southwest end of the trail is west of Karnak just off Illinois Route 37 at the Cache river wetlands center (). The trail connects to several trails including the River to River Trail; the Illinois southern route of the American Discovery Trail; the U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (part of the TransAmerica Bike Route); and the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Tunnel Hill State Trail”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tunnel Hill State Trail the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 59° ENE | 8:20 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 120° ESE | 4:39 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 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
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 | 7:49 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Tunnel Hill State Trail, 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 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:29 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 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:05 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: 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 ≈ 20.48 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 Tunnel Hill State Trail, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Wilderness AreaWilderness Area
Waterfall
Canyon
Natural Arch
Fire LookoutNational ForestFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tunnel Hill State Trail?
What time is golden hour at Tunnel Hill State Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tunnel Hill State Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tunnel Hill State Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tunnel Hill State Trail?
How far is Tunnel Hill State Trail from Eldorado?
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.