Grand Portage State Park is a state park in Cook County, Minnesota. The nearest town is Houghton, about 126 km (78 mi) away (Grand Portage State Park lies NW of town).
Grand Portage State Park is a state park at the northeastern tip of the U.S. state of Minnesota, on the Canada–United States border. It contains a 120-foot (37 m) waterfall, the tallest in the state (though it is on the border with Canada and thus partially in Ontario), on the Pigeon River. The High Falls and other waterfalls and rapids upstream necessitated a historically important portage on a fur trade route between the Great Lakes and inland Canada. This 8.5-mile (13.7 km) path as well as the sites of historic forts at either end are preserved in nearby Grand Portage National Monument. The state park, held by the surrounding Grand Portage Indian Reservation and leased to the state of Minnesota for $1 a year, is the only U.S. state park jointly managed by a state and a Native American band. It is also the only Minnesota state park not owned by the state.From the Wikipedia article “Grand Portage State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grand Portage State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:00 AM | 53° NE | 9:02 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 126° SE | 4:08 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:18 AM | 4:59 AM | 5:48 AM | 8:12 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:42 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 4:36 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:13 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:43 PM | 8h 24m |
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 Grand Portage State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:34 AM – 4:04 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:36 AM – 2:46 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:15 AM – 1:35 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:41 PM – 12:41 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 10:39 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.95 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 August as the clearest month (about 64% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 37 | 43 | 69 | 69 | 83 | 85 | 92 | 90 | 89 | 76 | 64 | 41 |
| Low °F | -36 | -32 | -21 | 6 | 22 | 32 | 41 | 41 | 30 | 15 | -4 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
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 Grand Portage State Park, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Natural ArchWaterfall
State Park
LighthouseWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grand Portage State Park?
What time is golden hour at Grand Portage State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grand Portage State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grand Portage State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grand Portage State Park?
How far is Grand Portage State Park from Houghton?
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.