Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area is a state park in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) NNW of Mountain Iron.
Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area is a Minnesota state park located east of Lake Ore-be-gone in Gilbert, Minnesota. The recreation area consists of 36 miles (58 km) of trails on a 1,864-acre (754 ha) unit, all of which was local iron ore mining land until 1981. A 3,500-acre (1,400 ha) expansion of the recreation area is also being planned, with land acquisition underway. The recreation area has trails for all classes of off-highway vehicles defined by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, including Off-Highway Motorcycles, Class I All-Terrain Vehicles, Class II All-Terrain Vehicles, and Off-Road Vehicles. Minnesota is one of three states to have a state-maintained off-road recreation area, the others being California and Utah.From the Wikipedia article “Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area 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 308° (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) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 53° NE | 9:14 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 125° SE | 4:22 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 | 3:46 AM – 4:16 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:47 AM – 3:07 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:21 AM – 2:01 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:50 PM – 1:00 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 11:00 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 ≈ 21.89 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 39 | 45 | 75 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 101 | 96 | 91 | 79 | 67 | 43 |
| Low °F | -45 | -35 | -36 | 4 | 22 | 32 | 41 | 37 | 24 | 8 | -9 | -36 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area, closest first.
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
State Park
Fire LookoutWaterfall
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area?
How far is Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area from Mountain Iron?
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.