Glacial Lakes State Park — a state park in Pope County, Minnesota — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.6 km (5.3 mi) S of Starbuck.
Glacial Lakes State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Starbuck. It was founded in 1963 to preserve some of the remaining rolling prairie which previously covered much of the state. Located in the Leaf Mountains, the park and the area around it contains many glacial landforms created by the Wisconsonian glaciation.From the Wikipedia article “Glacial Lakes State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glacial Lakes State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 55° NE | 9:15 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 124° SE | 4:42 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 42m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:46 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:08 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 44m |
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 Glacial Lakes State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:27 AM – 3:37 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:50 PM – 2:50 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:33 PM – 1:33 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.78 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 48 | 61 | 80 | 90 | 96 | 99 | 108 | 102 | 97 | 86 | 73 | 51 |
| Low °F | -44 | -29 | -22 | 4 | 24 | 41 | 46 | 41 | 30 | 7 | -7 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
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 Glacial Lakes State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glacial Lakes State Park?
What time is golden hour at Glacial Lakes State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glacial Lakes State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glacial Lakes State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glacial Lakes State Park?
How far is Glacial Lakes State Park from Starbuck?
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.