Waubonsie State Park — a state park in Fremont County, Iowa — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.0 km (5.0 mi) NNW of Hamburg.
Waubonsie State Park is a state park in Fremont County, Iowa, United States, located in the Loess Hills region. It is named for Chief Wabaunsee of the Potawatomi people. Waubonsie State Park is located in the unique Loess Hills, a landform found only along the Missouri River in Iowa and Missouri. As glaciers melted 14,000 to 28,000 years ago, the Missouri River became a major channel for huge volumes of water and sediment during the summer. In winter, the volume of the meltwater was reduced, leaving the deposited sediments exposed to the wind. These sediments of silt, clay and very fine sand particles called "loess," were then carried by strong westerly winds and deposited when these winds encountered the steep slopes of the east valley wall.From the Wikipedia article “Waubonsie State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Waubonsie State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 58° ENE | 8:58 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 121° ESE | 4:59 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Waubonsie State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:51 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:43 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.56 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 60 | 70 | 83 | 90 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 106 | 100 | 90 | 77 | 67 |
| Low °F | -19 | -8 | -8 | 17 | 30 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 39 | 21 | 9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Waubonsie State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Waubonsie State Park?
What time is golden hour at Waubonsie State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Waubonsie State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Waubonsie State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Waubonsie State Park?
How far is Waubonsie State Park from Hamburg?
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.