Located in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, Crow Wing State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Baxter, about 8.7 km (5.4 mi) away (Crow Wing State Park lies SSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Crow Wing State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers. The park interprets the site of Old Crow Wing, one of the most populous towns in Minnesota in the 1850s and 1860s. The entire park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. A section of the Red River Trails that passed through Old Crow Wing is also separately listed on the National Register.From the Wikipedia article “Crow Wing State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crow Wing 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) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 54° NE | 9:14 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 124° SE | 4:34 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 36m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 38m |
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 Crow Wing 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 5:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:29 AM – 3:19 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:36 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 1:26 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 11:17 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 9:24 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.38 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 50% 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 | 44 | 54 | 77 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 105 | 99 | 94 | 84 | 67 | 44 |
| Low °F | -43 | -33 | -31 | 4 | 24 | 38 | 45 | 41 | 29 | 6 | -8 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Crow Wing State Park, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Lake
State Park
State Park
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crow Wing State Park?
What time is golden hour at Crow Wing State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crow Wing State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crow Wing State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crow Wing State Park?
How far is Crow Wing State Park from Baxter?
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.