Located in Cass County, Minnesota, Battleground State Forest is a state park. It is part of Chippewa National Forest. The nearest town is Cohasset, about 42 km (26 mi) away (Battleground State Forest lies WSW of town).
The Battleground State Forest is a state forest located near Gould Township in Cass County, Minnesota. It is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. It lies entirely within the boundaries of the Chippewa National Forest, additionally, and a portion of the forest falls within the borders of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Outdoor recreation activities include hiking and mountain biking on provided trails, as well as backcountry camping. Swimming and fishing are an option on bordering Leech Lake, boating is possible due to the forest's two public access boat launches.From the Wikipedia article “Battleground State Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Battleground State Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 53° NE | 9:17 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 125° SE | 4:30 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 31m |
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 Battleground State Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 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 | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:38 AM – 4:28 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 3:15 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:10 AM – 2:20 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:45 PM – 1:15 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 11:12 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.89 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 50% 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 | 43 | 47 | 75 | 80 | 86 | 90 | 101 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 67 | 42 |
| Low °F | -44 | -34 | -31 | 4 | 24 | 35 | 44 | 39 | 28 | 7 | -9 | -34 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
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 Battleground State Forest, closest first.
Lake
National Forest
Fire Lookout
State Park
Lake
State Park
Lake
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mabel Lake9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Leech Lake Rec Area15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Stony Point24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Battleground State Forest?
What time is golden hour at Battleground State Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Battleground State Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Battleground State Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Battleground State Forest?
How far is Battleground State Forest from Cohasset?
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.