Located in Itasca County, Minnesota, Bowstring State Forest is a state park. It is part of Chippewa National Forest. The nearest town is Cohasset, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Bowstring State Forest lies WNW of town).
The Bowstring State Forest is a state forest located in Itasca and Cass Counties in Minnesota. It is located entirely within the boundaries of the federally managed Chippewa National Forest, and is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The 56,470 acres (22,850 ha) Lake Winnibigoshish is located entirely within the forest. Additionally, the forest has public access to Leech Lake and Cass Lake. Fish species found in the lakes within the forest include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie and bluegill. Boating and swimming are also available on the lakes. Other outdoor recreation opportunities include hunting and backcountry camping. Trails are provided for cross-country skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, mountain biking, and Class I and II all-terrain vehicle use.From the Wikipedia article “Bowstring State Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bowstring 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 | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 53° NE | 9:18 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 125° SE | 4:29 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 8:00 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Bowstring State Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:50 AM – 4:30 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:20 AM – 2:10 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:51 PM – 1:11 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:34 PM – 11:04 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 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
- 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.
- 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 Bowstring State Forest, closest first.
National Forest
Fire Lookout
State Park
Fire Lookout
State ParkState Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Winnie Dam Campground - Usace3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Tamarack Point Campground3.6 km (2.2 mi)
- Williams Narrows9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Deer Lake10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Onegume11.0 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bowstring State Forest?
What time is golden hour at Bowstring State Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bowstring State Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bowstring State Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bowstring State Forest?
How far is Bowstring 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.