Located in Lake County, Minnesota, Bear Island State Forest is a state park. The nearest town is Ely, about 13.7 km (8.5 mi) away (Bear Island State Forest lies SSE of town).
The Bear Island State Forest is a state forest in Minnesota bordered by the towns of Ely, Babbitt, and Tower in Lake and Saint Louis counties. It is adjacent to the Burntside State Forest and the federally managed Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is managed primarily by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the counties. Prior to European settlement, the area was dominated by the old-growth Eastern White Pine which was completely harvested around the beginning of the twentieth century. Subsequent wildfires in the area have caused the dominance of primary successional species such as birch, aspen, and Jack pine. Approximately 250 acres (100 ha) of land are harvested each year, of which 170 acres (69 ha) are artificially regenerated through planting and seeding.From the Wikipedia article “Bear Island State Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bear Island 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 308° (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) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 53° NE | 9:10 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 125° SE | 4:18 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:52 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:57 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Bear Island State Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:42 AM – 4:12 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:17 AM – 1:57 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:46 PM – 12:56 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 10:56 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.0+ 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 62% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 41 | 44 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 85 | 95 | 91 | 87 | 78 | 66 | 45 |
| Low °F | -29 | -25 | -23 | 8 | 23 | 32 | 42 | 40 | 30 | 17 | -5 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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 Bear Island State Forest, closest first.
National Forest
Waterfall
State Park
LakeWaterfall
Fire Lookout
State Park
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Birch Lake Campground3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- South Kawishiwi River5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Fall Lake19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Fenske Lake Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Mcdougal Lake Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bear Island State Forest?
What time is golden hour at Bear Island State Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bear Island State Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bear Island State Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bear Island State Forest?
How far is Bear Island State Forest from Ely?
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.