Lookout Point Picnic Area is a scenic viewpoint in Marion County, Illinois at about 161 m (528 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Salem, about 19.4 km (12.1 mi) away (Lookout Point Picnic Area lies ENE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lookout Point Picnic Area 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 302° (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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 59° ENE | 8:24 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 120° ESE | 4:37 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Lookout Point Picnic Area, 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 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.3 | 12° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 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 43% 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 | 69 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 89 | 106 | 109 | 103 | 97 | 92 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | -9 | -6 | 5 | 22 | 34 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 38 | 25 | 12 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
- Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
- Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lookout Point Picnic Area, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lookout Point Picnic Area?
What time is golden hour at Lookout Point Picnic Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lookout Point Picnic Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lookout Point Picnic Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lookout Point Picnic Area?
How far is Lookout Point Picnic Area from Salem?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.