Jay Nixon State Park — a state park in Reynolds County, Missouri — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ironton, about 13.2 km (8.2 mi) away (Jay Nixon State Park lies W of town).
Jay Nixon Backcountry is an undeveloped state park primarily located in Reynolds County, Missouri, with a 100-acre segment in Iron County. The property lies adjacent to Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and borders Ketcherside Conservation Area. The property is not open to the public. The park is named for governor Jay Nixon under whom several new Missouri state parks were added.From the Wikipedia article “Jay Nixon State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jay Nixon State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Jay Nixon State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 70 | 73 | 83 | 87 | 95 | 110 | 111 | 107 | 100 | 95 | 81 | 71 |
| Low °F | -5 | -1 | 6 | 21 | 32 | 47 | 53 | 49 | 38 | 24 | 12 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.2 |
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 Jay Nixon State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
State Park
Fire Lookout
State Park
Wilderness Area
State Park
Ghost Town
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Council Bluff Recreation Area19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Sutton Bluff Recreation Area24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Highway K30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jay Nixon State Park?
What time is golden hour at Jay Nixon State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jay Nixon State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jay Nixon State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jay Nixon State Park?
How far is Jay Nixon State Park from Ironton?
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.