Red River State Recreation Area is a state park in Polk County, Minnesota. The nearest town is Grand Forks, about 900 m away (Red River State Recreation Area lies NNW of town).
Red River State Recreation Area is part of the Greater Grand Forks Greenway and is located in the city of East Grand Forks, Minnesota on the banks of the Red River of the North and the Red Lake River. It was built as a natural buffer as a direct response to the 1997 Red River flood. The State Recreation Area is owned and managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.From the Wikipedia article “Red River State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Red River State Recreation Area 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 308° (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) | 7:32 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 53° NE | 9:32 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:16 AM | 125° SE | 4:38 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:39 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:04 AM | 4:12 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:11 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:13 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:12 AM | 9:05 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Red River State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:04 AM – 4:34 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:06 AM – 3:16 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:45 AM – 2:05 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:11 AM – 1:11 AM | 1.0 | 13° | 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 | — | -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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.56 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 50% 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 | 46 | 57 | 79 | 86 | 93 | 101 | 108 | 102 | 99 | 85 | 70 | 46 |
| Low °F | -44 | -31 | -25 | 4 | 22 | 36 | 43 | 38 | 29 | 12 | -8 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Red River State Recreation Area, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkNational Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Red River State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Red River State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Red River State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Red River State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Red River State Recreation Area?
How far is Red River State Recreation Area from Grand Forks?
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.