Palisades State Park is a state park in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. It sits roughly 3.5 km (2.2 mi) SSW of Garretson.
Palisades State Park is a state park of South Dakota, United States, featuring cliffs and rock formations eroded out of pink Sioux Quartzite. The park is located just south of Garretson, 10 miles (16 km) off Interstate 90. At only 435 acres (176 ha), it is South Dakota's second-smallest state park.From the Wikipedia article “Palisades State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Palisades State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 56° NE | 9:12 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 123° ESE | 4:53 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:23 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Palisades State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:18 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:54 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:48 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:33 PM – 3:13 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:20 PM – 2:00 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 11:53 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 9:56 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.22 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 51 | 68 | 83 | 90 | 93 | 101 | 108 | 103 | 98 | 88 | 76 | 56 |
| Low °F | -34 | -23 | -20 | 6 | 24 | 43 | 48 | 43 | 33 | 11 | 0 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
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 Palisades State Park, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Palisades State Park?
What time is golden hour at Palisades State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Palisades State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Palisades State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Palisades State Park?
How far is Palisades State Park from Garretson?
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.