Mastodon State Historic Site — a state park in Jefferson County, Missouri — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) NW of Imperial. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mastodon State Historic Site is a publicly owned, 431-acre (174 ha) archaeological and paleontological site with recreational features in Imperial, Missouri, maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, preserving the Kimmswick Bone Bed. Bones of mastodons and other now-extinct animals were first found here in the early 19th century. The area gained fame as one of the most extensive Pleistocene ice age deposits in the country and attracted scientific interest worldwide. The site was purchased by the state in 1976 following an effort to preserve it from destruction with the construction of Interstate 55. Archaeological history was made at the site in 1979 when scientists excavated a stone spear point made by hunters of the Clovis culture (14,000–10,000 years ago) in direct association with mastodon bones. This was the first solid evidence of the coexistence of people...From the Wikipedia article “Mastodon State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mastodon State Historic Site 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 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 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 Mastodon State Historic Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 71 | 77 | 82 | 88 | 96 | 109 | 109 | 107 | 103 | 94 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -9 | -11 | 4 | 20 | 33 | 47 | 53 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 10 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Mastodon State Historic Site, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
State Park
Botanical Garden
State ParkNatural ArchFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mastodon State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Mastodon State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mastodon State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mastodon State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mastodon State Historic Site?
How far is Mastodon State Historic Site from Imperial?
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.