Banning State Park — a state park in Pine County, Minnesota — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.9 km (2.4 mi) NNE of Sandstone.
Banning State Park is a state park in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, stretched along 10 miles (16 km) of the Kettle River near the town of Sandstone. The centerpiece of the park is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of churning rapids, some up to Class IV. The daring kayakers and canoeists who shoot Blueberry Slide, Mother's Delight, Dragon's Tooth, Little Banning, and Hell's Gate each spring attract spectators to the park. Landbound visitors can hike along the state's first Wild and Scenic River amid dramatic sandstone rock formations, large potholes carved by the river, and the remains of a historic quarry. Other features are Wolf Creek Falls and Robinson Ice Cave. The park is located directly off Interstate 35. Banning State Park is open daily from 8am until 10pm. Each vehicle entering the park requires an up-to-date permit which can be purchased online or at the park office.From the Wikipedia article “Banning State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Banning 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 54° NE | 9:07 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 124° SE | 4:29 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 39m |
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 Banning State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:23 AM – 3:13 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:50 PM – 2:30 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:30 PM – 1:20 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:11 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:18 PM | 0.2 | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.13 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 42 | 50 | 75 | 80 | 88 | 94 | 103 | 96 | 92 | 82 | 69 | 52 |
| Low °F | -41 | -30 | -34 | 5 | 24 | 36 | 43 | 42 | 28 | 12 | -8 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Banning State Park, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Fire Lookout
State Park
Fire Lookout
State Park
Fire LookoutFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Banning State Park?
What time is golden hour at Banning State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Banning State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Banning State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Banning State Park?
How far is Banning State Park from Sandstone?
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.