Volo Bog State Natural Area — a state park in McHenry County, Illinois — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Lakemoor, about 2.8 km (1.7 mi) away (Volo Bog State Natural Area lies NNE of town).
Volo Bog State Natural Area is a nature reserve in Illinois, United States, preserving Volo Bog. The bog was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973 as the only remaining open-water quaking bog in Illinois. The site also contains woodlands, savanna, marshes, prairie restoration areas, shrubland and old fields. Maintained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (Illinois DNR), the site is located about a mile west of U.S. Route 12 between the towns of Volo and Fox Lake, Illinois.From the Wikipedia article “Volo Bog State Natural Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Volo Bog State Natural Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:34 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 122° ESE | 4:24 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Volo Bog State Natural Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:26 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:55 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:35 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:30 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 57 | 65 | 79 | 83 | 90 | 96 | 104 | 99 | 93 | 86 | 73 | 66 |
| Low °F | -41 | -22 | -15 | 13 | 26 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 33 | 16 | 2 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 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
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Volo Bog State Natural Area, closest first.
State Park
Lake
State Park
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Covered Bridge
Lighthouse
Sand Dunes
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Volo Bog State Natural Area?
What time is golden hour at Volo Bog State Natural Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Volo Bog State Natural Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Volo Bog State Natural Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Volo Bog State Natural Area?
How far is Volo Bog State Natural Area from Lakemoor?
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.