Lake Sakakawea State Park — a state park in Mercer County, North Dakota — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Garrison, about 14.5 km (9.0 mi) away (Lake Sakakawea State Park lies S of town).
Lake Sakakawea State Park is a public recreation area occupying 739 acres (299 ha) on the southern shore of Lake Sakakawea in Mercer County, North Dakota, United States. The state park is located adjacent to the Garrison Dam, one mile (1.6 km) north of Pick City.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Sakakawea State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Sakakawea State Park 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 307° (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) | 7:50 AM | 89° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 53° NE | 9:48 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:32 AM | 125° SE | 4:58 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:55 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:20 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:36 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:40 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:26 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:54 PM | 9:40 PM | 10:19 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:47 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:30 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:52 AM | 8:28 AM | 9:20 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:32 PM | 8h 28m |
Local time (America/North Dakota/Beulah), 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 Lake Sakakawea State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:15 AM – 6:15 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:20 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:19 AM – 3:39 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:50 AM – 2:40 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:21 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 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 47% 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 | 49 | 59 | 76 | 88 | 91 | 106 | 107 | 103 | 99 | 89 | 69 | 52 |
| Low °F | -37 | -33 | -19 | -1 | 22 | 37 | 46 | 41 | 29 | 8 | -11 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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.
- 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 Lake Sakakawea State Park, closest first.
Lake
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Downstream Campground (Nd)5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Wolf Creek Campground (Nd)10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- East Totten Trail Campground (Nd)17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Sakakawea State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lake Sakakawea State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Sakakawea State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Sakakawea State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Sakakawea State Park?
How far is Lake Sakakawea State Park from Garrison?
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.