Bay View Trail — a scenic viewpoint in Leelanau County, Michigan — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Greilickville, about 30 km (18 mi) away (Bay View Trail lies NW of town).
From the National Park Service
Hiking Bay View Located off of South Thoreson Rd, the Bay View Trail provides views of Lake Michigan and the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. There are several loops of different lengths and difficulties. Bicycles are to remain on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.
Pets prohibited December 1 - March 31.
Distance Total of 8 miles of trails divided into loops
Farm Loop: 2.4 mi Easy hike and ski - Wanders through farms and fields and by an historic schoolhouse to Lookout Point. Lookout Point gives a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and the surrounding countryside. The trail along the edge of the woods on top of the bluff overlooks fields of wildflowers and former farmland with Lake Michigan in the background.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bay View Trail the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:48 AM | 90° E | 7:56 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 55° NE | 9:35 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:32 AM | 89° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 123° ESE | 5:06 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:46 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:05 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:36 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:10 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:40 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:04 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 48m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Bay View Trail, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:48 AM – 6:08 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:47 AM – 5:07 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:45 AM – 3:55 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:06 AM – 3:16 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:50 PM – 2:00 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:47 PM – 11:57 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:38 PM – 9:58 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 48 | 61 | 79 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 85 | 72 | 61 |
| Low °F | -15 | -21 | -13 | 6 | 25 | 32 | 42 | 46 | 36 | 24 | 10 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
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
- 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.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
- Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bay View Trail, closest first.
Sand DunesSand Dunes
Lake
Lighthouse
Sand Dunes
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- D.H. Day Campground6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- D.H. Day Group Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- South Manitou Group Campground14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Popple Campground - South Manitou Island18.1 km (11.2 mi)
- Village Campground - North Manitou Island22 km (13 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bay View Trail?
What time is golden hour at Bay View Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bay View Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bay View Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bay View Trail?
How far is Bay View Trail from Greilickville?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.