Paul Bunyan State Forest — a state park in Hubbard County, Minnesota — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) SSW of Bemidji.
The Paul Bunyan State Forest is a state forest located in Hubbard and Cass counties in Minnesota. The forest borders the Chippewa National Forest and the Welsh Lake State Forest to the east, and the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest to the northwest. The forest is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the land department for Hubbard County.From the Wikipedia article “Paul Bunyan State Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Paul Bunyan State Forest 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) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:33 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 | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:05 AM | 125° SE | 4:33 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 8:03 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:05 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:53 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:07 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 Paul Bunyan State Forest, 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:48 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:42 AM – 4:32 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:51 AM – 3:21 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:18 AM – 2:18 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:12 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 11:16 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Paul Bunyan State Forest, closest first.
Fire Lookout
State Park
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
Lake
Fire Lookout
Fire LookoutFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Paul Bunyan State Forest?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Paul Bunyan State Forest?
How far is Paul Bunyan State Forest from Bemidji?
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.