Lookout Point is a scenic viewpoint in Hennepin County, Minnesota at about 288 m (945 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.7 km (1.7 mi) SW of Wayzata.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lookout Point 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 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 55° NE | 9:05 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 123° ESE | 4:36 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 48m |
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, 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 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:17 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:36 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:20 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:27 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: 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 ≈ 18.67 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 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 50 | 61 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 96 | 107 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | -37 | -27 | -23 | 4 | 24 | 41 | 46 | 43 | 32 | 12 | -4 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Lake
Botanical Garden
Lake
Lake
Beach
Lake
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lookout Point?
What time is golden hour at Lookout Point?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lookout Point?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lookout Point?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lookout Point?
How far is Lookout Point from Wayzata?
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.