Located in Rice County, Minnesota, Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Dundas, about 12.0 km (7.5 mi) away (Nerstrand Big Woods State Park lies SE of town).
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is a state park of Minnesota, US, northeast of Faribault just outside the small town of Nerstrand. The park derives its name from the Big Woods, a large, contiguous forested area covering much of southeast Minnesota prior to the 1840s, when European settlers began to establish farms in the territory, and from Nedstrand in Tysvær Municipality, Norway, of which Nerstrand is a namesake. The park and its forest were an outlying 'woods' typical of and similar to the Big Woods proper, which were historically found on the more recent glacier deposits located west of the Cannon River 10 miles (16 km) to the west. Aside from a small waterfall, the outstanding natural feature of the park is the forest itself.From the Wikipedia article “Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nerstrand Big Woods State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 55° NE | 9:01 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 123° ESE | 4:37 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:02 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:08 AM – 3:38 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:25 PM – 2:55 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 1:40 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:41 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.87 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 July as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 50 | 61 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 96 | 107 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | -37 | -27 | -23 | 4 | 24 | 41 | 46 | 43 | 32 | 12 | -4 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 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
- 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 Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Covered Bridge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nerstrand Big Woods State Park?
What time is golden hour at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park?
How far is Nerstrand Big Woods State Park from Dundas?
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.