Located in Winona County, Minnesota, Great River Bluffs State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Trempealeau, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Great River Bluffs State Park lies SSE of town).
Great River Bluffs State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River southeast of Winona. Originally known as O. L. Kipp State Park, it was renamed in the late 1990s to describe better its resources. The park preserves steep-sided bluffs rising 500 feet (150 m) above the river and the narrow valleys between them, which support rare and fragile plant communities. Two of the bluffs have received further protection under the Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas program, which are known as King's and Queen's Bluff Scientific and Natural Area.From the Wikipedia article “Great River Bluffs State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Great River Bluffs State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 56° NE | 8:53 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Great River Bluffs State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:16 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.95 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 September as the clearest month (about 47% 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 | 49 | 63 | 77 | 82 | 91 | 97 | 105 | 100 | 94 | 83 | 71 | 65 |
| Low °F | -39 | -21 | -20 | 10 | 27 | 39 | 47 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 2 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 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 Great River Bluffs State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
WaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Ghost TownGhost Town
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Great River Bluffs State Park?
What time is golden hour at Great River Bluffs State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Great River Bluffs State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Great River Bluffs State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Great River Bluffs State Park?
How far is Great River Bluffs State Park from Trempealeau?
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.