Old Mill State Park — a state park in Marshall County, Minnesota — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Warren, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Old Mill State Park lies NE of town).
Old Mill State Park is a small Minnesota state park on the Middle River between Argyle and Newfolden on an ancient beach of glacial Lake Agassiz in Marshall County in the northwestern part of the state. It is a 406-acre (164 ha) park.From the Wikipedia article “Old Mill State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Mill State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 52° NE | 9:32 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:16 AM | 126° SE | 4:35 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 19m |
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 | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:05 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 8h 46m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 13m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:12 PM | 16h 05m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:10 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:12 AM | 9:06 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 21m |
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 Old Mill State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:03 AM – 4:33 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:07 AM – 3:07 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:52 AM – 1:52 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:13 AM – 1:03 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:49 PM – 11:09 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.9 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 49% average cloud cover) and November 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 | 40 | 47 | 79 | 84 | 89 | 94 | 102 | 102 | 95 | 85 | 69 | 43 |
| Low °F | -49 | -41 | -36 | -1 | 22 | 34 | 42 | 35 | 24 | 12 | -9 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 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
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Mill State Park?
What time is golden hour at Old Mill State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Old Mill State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Old Mill State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Mill State Park?
How far is Old Mill State Park from Warren?
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.