Pikes Peak State Park — a state park in Clayton County, Iowa — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) SSW of Prairie du Chien.
Pikes Peak State Park is a state park in Clayton County, Iowa, United States, featuring a 500-foot (150 m) bluff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River opposite the confluence of the Wisconsin River. The park is operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It is nearly a thousand acres (4 km2) in extent. The nearest city is McGregor, Iowa. Iowa Highway 76 approximately defines its northern boundary. It gets its name from the Iowa incarnation of Pikes Peak, a particularly high point overlooking the gorge of the Upper Mississippi, and like Pikes Peak in Colorado, is named for Zebulon Pike. Pike visited the area in 1805 during his first expedition, camping just downstream near Clayton on September 6 and across the river near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin the next 3 nights. Pike climbed the bluff on September 5, looking for a suitable location for a fort and marked what would...From the Wikipedia article “Pikes Peak State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pikes Peak State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 56° ENE | 8:48 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 122° ESE | 4:34 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Pikes Peak 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 3:32 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 1:43 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.8 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.36 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.
- 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 Pikes Peak State Park, closest first.
State Park
Cave
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Fire Lookout
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pikes Peak State Park?
What time is golden hour at Pikes Peak State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pikes Peak State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pikes Peak State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pikes Peak State Park?
How far is Pikes Peak State Park from Prairie du Chien?
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.