Pillsbury Point State Park is a state park in Dickinson County, Iowa. The nearest town is Arnolds Park, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (Pillsbury Point State Park lies WSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pillsbury Point State Park is located in Arnolds Park, Iowa, United States. It is Iowa's smallest state park and unlike the others, it is an urban park. At 6.48 acres (2.62 ha), it is a narrow park that extends along a point of land into West Okoboji Lake adjacent to private summer houses. The overlook at the north end of the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The historic designation includes walkways along the lake, stone steps, stone benches, and property boundary markers.From the Wikipedia article “Pillsbury Point State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pillsbury Point State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 56° NE | 9:05 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 122° ESE | 4:48 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Pillsbury Point State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | 5:03 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:50 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:23 PM – 3:13 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:11 PM – 2:01 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:55 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:50 PM | 0.7 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.12 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 July as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 65 | 80 | 87 | 92 | 99 | 104 | 102 | 97 | 86 | 75 | 55 |
| Low °F | -34 | -21 | -20 | 5 | 25 | 43 | 47 | 42 | 33 | 12 | -3 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Pillsbury Point State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pillsbury Point State Park?
What time is golden hour at Pillsbury Point State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pillsbury Point State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pillsbury Point State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pillsbury Point State Park?
How far is Pillsbury Point State Park from Arnolds Park?
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.