Located in Lake County, Minnesota, Finland State Forest is a state park. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) NNW of Silver Bay.
The Finland State Forest is a state forest located near the unincorporated community of Finland in Lake and Cook counties, Minnesota. Of the over 30,000 acres (12,000 ha), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages a third of the land. The federal United States Forest Service manages roughly a quarter of the total forest acreage, as its boundary overlaps in part with that of Superior National Forest. The remainder is split between Cook and Lake County agencies, and private landowners.From the Wikipedia article “Finland State Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Finland 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) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 53° NE | 9:07 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:18 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:57 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Finland 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 | 5:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:40 AM – 4:20 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:39 AM – 2:59 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:10 AM – 2:00 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:41 PM – 1:01 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 10:54 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 ≈ 21.93 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
- 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 Finland State Forest, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
State Park
Rock FormationWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Little Isabella River Campground14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Mcdougal Lake Campground16.5 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Ninemile Lake Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Finland State Forest?
What time is golden hour at Finland State Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Finland State Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Finland State Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Finland State Forest?
How far is Finland State Forest from Silver Bay?
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.