Backbone State Park is a state park in Delaware County, Iowa. It sits roughly 6.1 km (3.8 mi) SSW of Strawberry Point. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Backbone State Park is Iowa's oldest state park, dedicated in 1920. Located in the valley of the Maquoketa River, it is approximately three miles (5 km) south of Strawberry Point in Delaware County. It is named for a narrow and steep ridge of bedrock carved by a loop of the Maquoketa River originally known as the Devil's Backbone. The initial 1,200 acres (490 ha) were donated by E.M. Carr of Lamont, Iowa. Backbone Lake Dam, a relatively low dam built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, created Backbone Lake. The CCC constructed a majority of trails and buildings which make up the park.From the Wikipedia article “Backbone State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Backbone State Park 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° (NW) 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 57° ENE | 8:48 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 122° ESE | 4:36 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Backbone State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:41 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:42 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 11:48 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 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 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 50 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 100 | 106 | 100 | 94 | 85 | 73 | 68 |
| Low °F | -33 | -16 | -18 | 10 | 26 | 40 | 47 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 2 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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 Backbone State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Backbone State Park?
What time is golden hour at Backbone State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Backbone State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Backbone State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Backbone State Park?
How far is Backbone State Park from Strawberry Point?
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.