Beaver Basin Wilderness is a wilderness area in Alger County, Michigan. It lies in or next to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Munising, about 30 km (19 mi) away (Beaver Basin Wilderness lies NE of town).
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. It extends for 42 mi (68 km) along the shore of Lake Superior and covers 73,236 acres (114 sq mi; 296 km2). The park has extensive views of the hilly shoreline between Munising and Grand Marais in Alger County, with picturesque rock formations, waterfalls, and sand dunes. Pictured Rocks derives its name from the 13 miles (24 km) of colorful sandstone cliffs northeast of Munising. The cliffs reach up to 200 feet (60 m) above lake level. They have been naturally sculptured into a variety of shallow caves, arches, and formations resembling castle turrets and human profiles. Near Munising, visitors can also visit Grand Island, most of which are included in the separate Grand Island National Recreation Area. The U.S. Congress designated Pictured Rocks the first national...From the Wikipedia article “Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beaver Basin Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:49 AM | 90° E | 7:58 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 54° NE | 9:43 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:27 AM | 124° SE | 5:01 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 34m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:52 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:14 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:59 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:33 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:54 PM | 9:41 PM | 10:20 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:50 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:45 AM | 6:19 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:31 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:48 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:14 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 8h 36m |
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 Beaver Basin Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 6:02 AM – 6:12 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:04 AM – 5:04 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:59 AM – 3:49 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:29 AM – 2:59 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:07 AM – 1:47 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:42 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 68% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 40 | 45 | 67 | 69 | 80 | 82 | 90 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 63 | 53 |
| Low °F | -12 | -17 | -12 | 10 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 35 | 25 | 8 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 |
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 wilderness area
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. 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 40 km of Beaver Basin Wilderness, closest first.
Beach
Sand Dunes
Waterfall
Rock Formation
Beach
Waterfall
Natural ArchWaterfallNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Backcountry Camping Permit1.3 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Little Beaver Campground3.2 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Twelvemile Beach Campground And Cabin11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Hurricane River Campground16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Grand Island Cabins29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beaver Basin Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Beaver Basin Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beaver Basin Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beaver Basin Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beaver Basin Wilderness?
How far is Beaver Basin Wilderness from Munising?
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.