Located in Vernon County, Wisconsin, Wildcat Mountain State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Cashton, about 18.1 km (11.2 mi) away (Wildcat Mountain State Park lies ESE of town).
Wildcat Mountain State Park is a state park of Wisconsin, United States, on the Kickapoo River in the Driftless Area. Sandstone bluffs topped with limestone, two of which are Wildcat Mountain and Mount Pisgah, provide views over the narrow valley of the river and its tributaries. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is immediately adjacent and forms a continuous protected area. Wildcat Mountain State Park is open for year-round recreation including hiking, canoeing, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The 3,643-acre (1,474 ha) park is located in Vernon County near the town of Ontario, Wisconsin.From the Wikipedia article “Wildcat Mountain State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wildcat Mountain 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 305° (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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 56° NE | 8:48 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 123° ESE | 4:29 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 | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 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 Wildcat Mountain 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:09 PM – 2:49 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 9:32 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: 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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 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 | 63 | 76 | 82 | 91 | 97 | 105 | 100 | 93 | 84 | 71 | 64 |
| Low °F | -41 | -21 | -18 | 10 | 26 | 37 | 46 | 40 | 31 | 22 | 2 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 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 Wildcat Mountain State Park, closest first.
Ghost TownGhost Town
Natural Arch
State ParkGhost TownGhost TownGhost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wildcat Mountain State Park?
What time is golden hour at Wildcat Mountain State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wildcat Mountain State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wildcat Mountain State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wildcat Mountain State Park?
How far is Wildcat Mountain State Park from Cashton?
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.