Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is a state park in Ontonagon County, Michigan. The nearest town is Ontonagon, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park lies WSW of town).
The Porcupine Mountains, or Porkies, are a group of small mountains spanning the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties, near the shore of Lake Superior. The Porcupine Mountains were named by the native Ojibwa people, supposedly because their silhouette had the shape of a crouching porcupine. They are home to the most extensive stand of old growth northern hardwood forest in North America west of the Adirondack Mountains, spanning at least 31,000 acres (13,000 ha). The area is popular among tourists, especially Lake of the Clouds in the heart of the mountains, and is part of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The Porcupine Mountains were the site of copper mining in the 19th century. One of these mines is the Nonesuch Mine, which operated sporadically from 1867 to 1912. Because of its copper mining history, the state park is a cooperating...From the Wikipedia article “Porcupine Mountains”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (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) | 8:03 AM | 90° E | 8:12 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:06 AM | 54° NE | 9:57 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:47 AM | 89° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:42 AM | 125° SE | 5:14 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 8:06 AM | 8:40 AM | 9:29 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 7:33 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:47 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:43 AM | 8:13 AM | 8:53 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:52 AM | 9:08 PM | 9:56 PM | 10:35 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:06 AM | 9:05 PM | 9:51 PM | 10:28 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:45 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:47 AM | 8:17 AM | 8:59 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:30 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:49 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 8:03 AM | 8:38 AM | 9:29 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:47 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 6:16 AM – 6:26 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:25 AM – 4:05 AM | 1.7 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:47 AM – 3:07 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:24 AM – 2:04 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:12 PM – 12:02 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:57 PM – 9:57 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 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 July as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 40 | 49 | 73 | 76 | 87 | 88 | 96 | 93 | 89 | 79 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -21 | -26 | -19 | 6 | 23 | 34 | 40 | 42 | 31 | 13 | -1 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, closest first.
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Black River Harbor Pavilion26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Black River Harbor Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park?
What time is golden hour at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park?
How far is Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park from Ontonagon?
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.