Itasca State Park is a state park in Clearwater County, Minnesota. It sits roughly 34 km (21 mi) SSE of Bagley. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Itasca State Park ( ) is a state park of Minnesota, United States, and contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The park spans 32,690 acres (132.3 km2) of northern Minnesota, and is located about 21 miles (34 km) north of Park Rapids, Minnesota and 25 miles (40 km) from Bagley, Minnesota. The park is part of Minnesota's Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains Ecological Subsection and is contained within Clearwater, Hubbard, and Becker counties. Itasca State Park was established by the Minnesota Legislature on April 20, 1891, making it the first of Minnesota's state parks and second oldest in the United States, behind Niagara Falls State Park. Henry Schoolcraft determined Lake Itasca as the river's source in 1832. It was named as a National Natural Landmark in 1965, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. About 500,000 people visit Itasca State Park annually.From the Wikipedia article “Itasca State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Itasca State Park 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 307° (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) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 53° NE | 9:21 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:06 AM | 125° SE | 4:34 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 28m |
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 | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:06 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:54 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 30m |
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 Itasca State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | 5:49 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:33 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:52 AM – 3:22 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:19 AM – 2:19 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:53 PM – 1:13 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 11:17 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 3.5+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 42 | 49 | 78 | 83 | 89 | 92 | 103 | 101 | 94 | 86 | 69 | 44 |
| Low °F | -49 | -35 | -32 | 1 | 23 | 34 | 42 | 36 | 27 | 10 | -9 | -37 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Itasca State Park, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
State ParkFire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire LookoutFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Itasca State Park?
What time is golden hour at Itasca State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Itasca State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Itasca State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Itasca State Park?
How far is Itasca State Park from Bagley?
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.