Located in Chisago County, Minnesota, Wild River State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Saint Croix Falls, about 12.3 km (7.6 mi) away (Wild River State Park lies NNW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wild River State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, curving along 18 miles (29 km) of the St. Croix River. This long, narrow park is shaped somewhat like a sideways 'S', with development largely concentrated in the lower third. The remote upper sections flank the mouth of a tributary called the Sunrise River. The park is managed to provide quieter, more nature-oriented recreation as a counterpoint to the busier William O'Brien and Interstate State Parks downstream. Wild River State Park is named after the St. Croix's designation as a National Wild and Scenic River. The park contains the Point Douglas to Superior Military Road: Deer Creek Section, a surviving section of the Point Douglas to Superior Military Road built in 1853, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Wild River State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wild River State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 9:04 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 124° SE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 42m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 20m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 44m |
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 Wild River State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:16 AM – 4:26 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:16 AM – 3:26 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:39 PM – 2:39 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:22 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.19 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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 | 44 | 56 | 77 | 83 | 89 | 96 | 105 | 100 | 94 | 84 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | -41 | -28 | -33 | 3 | 24 | 39 | 45 | 42 | 30 | 10 | -10 | -30 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Wild River State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Lake
State Park
Fire Lookout
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wild River State Park?
What time is golden hour at Wild River State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wild River State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wild River State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wild River State Park?
How far is Wild River State Park from Saint Croix Falls?
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.