Located in Chippewa County, Michigan, Brimley State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Sault Ste. Marie, about 18.4 km (11.4 mi) away (Brimley State Park lies WSW of town).
Brimley State Park is a public recreation area covering approximately 100 acres (40 ha) on the shore of Whitefish Bay at the far eastern end of Lake Superior in the U.S. state of Michigan. The state park is located on the northeast side of the Village of Brimley, eleven miles southwest of Sault Ste. Marie. To help create the park, the Village of Brimley gave an initial 38 acres (15 ha) to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in 1923. The park offers an observation platform as well as facilities for camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing, and boating.From the Wikipedia article “Brimley State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Brimley State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 54° NE | 9:35 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 124° SE | 4:55 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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 | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 00m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:12 PM | 15h 47m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:24 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 37m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Brimley State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:52 AM – 3:42 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:22 AM – 2:52 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:00 AM – 1:40 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:50 PM – 11:40 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:35 PM – 9:35 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 66% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (82%). August 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 | 39 | 38 | 70 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 89 | 87 | 82 | 76 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -25 | -25 | -15 | 3 | 25 | 34 | 40 | 44 | 35 | 22 | -1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
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 Brimley State Park, closest first.
Sand DunesSand Dunes
LighthouseSand Dunes
Wilderness AreaSand Dunes
Waterfall
National ForestSand DunesCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Monocle Lake8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Bay View (Hiawatha National Forest, Mi)17.8 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Soldier Lake25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Brimley State Park?
What time is golden hour at Brimley State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Brimley State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Brimley State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Brimley State Park?
How far is Brimley State Park from Sault Ste. Marie?
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.