Located in Dane County, Wisconsin, Capital Springs State Recreation Area is a state park. It sits roughly 3.7 km (2.3 mi) S of Monona.
Capital Springs State Recreation Area is a state park unit of Wisconsin, United States, in development just south of Madison. The total area of the park is 3,000 acres (1,200 ha), with 326 acres (132 ha) designated as a state park. The park was authorized in 2000, the centennial of the Wisconsin state park system. The park includes 3,700 feet (1,100 m) of undeveloped shoreline on Lake Waubesa. The recreation area incorporates existing Dane County parks, and the site will be jointly managed by the state and the county. The property includes Native American archaeological sites that were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as Lake Farms Archaeological District. In this area near Lake Waubesa, Early Woodland people lived seasonally, leaving behind remains of fish, mammals, waterfowl, nuts, and pottery fragments.From the Wikipedia article “Capital Springs State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Capital Springs State Recreation Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (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 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 56° ENE | 8:41 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 122° ESE | 4:26 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Capital Springs State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.81 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 65 | 78 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Low °F | -43 | -25 | -19 | 10 | 26 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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 Capital Springs State Recreation Area, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Botanical Garden
Lake
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lake
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Capital Springs State Recreation Area?
What time is golden hour at Capital Springs State Recreation Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Capital Springs State Recreation Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Capital Springs State Recreation Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Capital Springs State Recreation Area?
How far is Capital Springs State Recreation Area from Monona?
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.