Lake Carlos State Park is a state park in Douglas County, Minnesota. It sits roughly 12.9 km (8.0 mi) NNE of Alexandria.
Lake Carlos State Park is a state park about 10 miles north of Alexandria, Minnesota, USA. The park was established in 1937 to provide a public recreational facility in one of Minnesota's summer resort centers, and attracts tourists from Minnesota and bordering states. Visitors often view fauna such as beaver, deer, loons, grebes, various ducks and herons. Lake Carlos itself covers an area of 2,605.12 acres including 12.83 miles of shoreline. The lake has a maximum depth of 163 feet with an average depth of 50 feet. Fish in Lake Carlos include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish),brown bullhead, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, sunfish, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Carlos State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Carlos State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 54° NE | 9:17 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 124° SE | 4:39 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 38m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 44m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:07 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 40m |
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 Lake Carlos State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:37 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:30 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:46 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:37 PM – 1:27 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.65 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Carlos State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lake Carlos State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Carlos State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Carlos State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Carlos State Park?
How far is Lake Carlos State Park from Alexandria?
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.