Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site is a state park in Linn County, Kansas. The nearest town is Pleasanton, about 14.0 km (8.7 mi) away (Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site lies NE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Marais des Cygnes massacre (, also ) is considered the last significant act of violence in Bleeding Kansas prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War. On May 19, 1858, approximately 30 border ruffians led by Charles Hamilton, a Georgia native and proslavery leader, crossed into the Kansas Territory from Missouri. They arrived at Trading Post, Kansas, in the morning and then headed back to Missouri. Along the way, they captured 11 abolitionist Free-Staters, none of whom were armed and, it is said, none of whom had participated in the ongoing violence. Most of the men knew Hamilton and did not realize he meant them harm. These prisoners were led into a defile, where Hamilton ordered his men to shoot, firing the first and last bullet himself. Five men were killed and five severely wounded. Only one Free-Stater escaped injury.From the Wikipedia article “Marais des Cygnes massacre”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 59° ENE | 8:46 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 120° ESE | 5:02 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:32 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 73 | 74 | 82 | 90 | 91 | 105 | 111 | 112 | 105 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -12 | -6 | -2 | 20 | 31 | 45 | 53 | 49 | 39 | 18 | 9 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site, closest first.
FAQ
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Where does the sun rise and set at Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site?
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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.