Located in Alcona County, Michigan, Harrisville State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Hubbard Lake, about 23 km (15 mi) away (Harrisville State Park lies ESE of town).
Harrisville State Park is a public recreation area covering 107 acres (43 ha) on the shore of Lake Huron off U.S. Route 23 in Harrisville and Harrisville Township, Alcona County, Michigan. The state park contains more than 100 acres of heavily forested land as well as a mile-long sandy beach. It is considered an important location for birders, with large and varied migratory populations of warblers and other song birds. The park is administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.From the Wikipedia article “Harrisville State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Harrisville State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 55° NE | 9:23 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:08 AM | 123° ESE | 4:56 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Harrisville State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:55 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:51 PM – 3:11 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 11:55 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:26 PM – 9:56 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 60% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 51 | 61 | 78 | 78 | 87 | 91 | 95 | 94 | 90 | 87 | 69 | 60 |
| Low °F | -15 | -19 | -12 | 3 | 24 | 34 | 42 | 42 | 35 | 25 | 12 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Harrisville State Park, closest first.
Sand Dunes
LighthouseSand DunesSand DunesSand Dunes
State Park
LakeSand DunesSand DunesFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Harrisville State Park?
What time is golden hour at Harrisville State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Harrisville State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Harrisville State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Harrisville State Park?
How far is Harrisville State Park from Hubbard Lake?
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.