Flandrau State Park — a state park in Brown County, Minnesota — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is New Ulm, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Flandrau State Park lies SSW of town).
Flandrau State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, on the Cottonwood River adjacent to the city of New Ulm. Initially called Cottonwood River State Park, it was renamed in 1945 to honor Charles Eugene Flandrau, a leading citizen of early Minnesota who commanded defenses during the Battles of New Ulm in the Dakota War of 1862. The park was originally developed in the 1930s as a job creation project to provide a recreational reservoir. However the dam was repeatedly damaged by floods and was removed in 1995. Along with the dam, crews from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) built several structures in the National Park Service rustic style. In a unique twist on the mandate to harmonize with the local environment, the buildings were designed to reflect the ethnic German heritage of New Ulm. The WPA barracks were reused during...From the Wikipedia article “Flandrau State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Flandrau State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 55° NE | 9:06 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 123° ESE | 4:42 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Flandrau State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:11 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:08 AM – 4:38 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:40 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.66 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 51 | 64 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 98 | 106 | 101 | 97 | 87 | 79 | 55 |
| Low °F | -37 | -23 | -22 | 4 | 24 | 43 | 48 | 43 | 33 | 12 | -3 | -26 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Flandrau State Park, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Waterfall
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Flandrau State Park?
What time is golden hour at Flandrau State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Flandrau State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Flandrau State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Flandrau State Park?
How far is Flandrau State Park from New Ulm?
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.