Located in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, Cloquet Valley State Forest is a state park. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) N of Arnold.
The Cloquet Valley State Forest encompasses 327,098 acres (1,323.7 km2); 48,384 acres (195.8 km2) of which (or 15%) are Minnesota Department of Natural Resources forestry administered lands. Located in southeast Saint Louis County, the Cloquet Valley State Forest is located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Duluth and 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Virginia, in Minnesota's Arrowhead region. It spreads out over east–central Saint Louis County, generally in areas just north of the city of Duluth, but extending into the valleys of the Ush-kab-wan River, Whiteface River, and Cloquet River, for which it is named. The city of Cloquet is located in adjacent Carlton County. Recreational activities offered at the Indian Lake campground within the forest include camping, fishing, and a canoe route on the Cloquet River. The Superior National Forest is located immediately north of the Cloquet...From the Wikipedia article “Cloquet Valley State Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cloquet Valley 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 236° (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) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 53° NE | 9:08 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 125° SE | 4:22 PM | 236° 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 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 Cloquet Valley 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 | 5:36 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:29 AM – 4:19 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:36 AM – 3:06 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:01 AM – 2:11 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 1:06 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 11:03 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 ≈ 21.76 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 39 | 45 | 75 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 101 | 96 | 91 | 79 | 67 | 43 |
| Low °F | -45 | -35 | -36 | 4 | 22 | 32 | 41 | 37 | 24 | 8 | -9 | -36 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
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 Cloquet Valley State Forest, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Fire Lookout
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cloquet Valley State Forest?
What time is golden hour at Cloquet Valley State Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cloquet Valley State Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cloquet Valley State Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cloquet Valley State Forest?
How far is Cloquet Valley State Forest from Arnold?
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.