Savanna State Forest is a state park in Aitkin County, Minnesota. The nearest town is Aitkin, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Savanna State Forest lies NE of town).
The Savanna State Forest is located in Aitkin and Saint Louis counties in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Comprising over 238,000 acres, the forest is bisected by the Upper Mississippi River, and contains Savanna Portage State Park, which preserves a historic trade route connecting the Mississippi River with upper reaches of the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin. The forest has white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, waterfowl, songbirds, and many other species. The most popular fish in Big Sandy Lake and other lakes in the forest are bass, panfish, walleye, and northern pike.From the Wikipedia article “Savanna State Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Savanna State Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 125° SE | 4:28 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Savanna State Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:39 AM – 3:19 AM | 1.7 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:01 AM – 2:21 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:38 PM – 1:18 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 11:16 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.84 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 43 | 54 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 92 | 103 | 96 | 93 | 81 | 66 | 43 |
| Low °F | -43 | -32 | -32 | 4 | 24 | 38 | 45 | 42 | 30 | 6 | -9 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
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 Savanna State Forest, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
National Wildlife Refuge
Fire LookoutState ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Savanna State Forest?
What time is golden hour at Savanna State Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Savanna State Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Savanna State Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Savanna State Forest?
How far is Savanna State Forest from Aitkin?
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.