Afton State Park is a state park in Washington County, Minnesota. It sits roughly 4.5 km (2.8 mi) S of Afton.
Afton State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the St. Croix River in Washington County. Its hiking trails offer views of the river, rolling glacial moraine, and bluffland it preserves. It is a popular place for birdwatching, picnics, camping, and other typical outdoor recreational activities. To deter overuse, there is no vehicle access to the camping area or swimming beach. The park is located approximately five miles (8 km) south of the town of Afton, Minnesota. The park surrounds the unaffiliated privately owned Afton Alps ski area on three sides. The name "Afton" was given to this area by its settlers as a reference to the Robert Burns poem "Afton Water", which is about the River Afton in Scotland.From the Wikipedia article “Afton State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Afton 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 55° NE | 9:02 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Afton 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:13 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:29 PM – 2:49 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:14 PM – 1:34 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:34 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.85 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 July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 48 | 57 | 78 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 104 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 73 | 62 |
| Low °F | -36 | -28 | -24 | 7 | 25 | 39 | 47 | 42 | 32 | 13 | -5 | -30 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- 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 Afton State Park, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Cave
Lake
Lake
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Afton State Park?
What time is golden hour at Afton State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Afton State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Afton State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Afton State Park?
How far is Afton State Park from Afton?
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.