GREAT LAKES AREA VIEWING LOCATIONS MINNESOTA

Voyageurs National Park: This park is located in northern Minnesota and offers some of the darkest skies in the state, making it an ideal spot for aurora viewing.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: This wilderness area is another location with minimal light pollution and a great place to view the aurora

Grand Marais: This small town on the shore of Lake Superior is known for its dark skies and has even been designated as an International Dark Sky Community

Michigan

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: This park has some dark skies and also offers stunning views of Lake Michigan

Headlands International Dark Sky Park: This park, located in Mackinaw City, has been designated as an International Dark Sky Park and offers guided aurora viewing events

Keweenaw Dark Sky Park: the Keweenaw Mountain lodge recently became a hot spot for star gazing and aurora hunting There are many places along the Lake Superior lake front (on M26 and US Hwy 41), in multiple county and state parks, and up Brockway Mountain; all of which are just a short jaunt away from the Lodge

Wisconsin

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: This park, located on Lake Superior, has dark skies and is a great location for viewing the aurora.

Newport State Park: This park, located in Door County, is another location with minimal light pollution and a good place to view the aurora

High Cliff State Park: Located on the shore of Lake Winnebago, this park has some dark skies and is a good location for viewing the aurora

Up Jeeping

The best time of year to see the aurora borealis is during the winter months, from late September to early April in the Northern Hemisphere During this time, the nights are longer, providing more darkness for the aurora to be visible

In addition to the longer nights, the Earth's magnetic field is more inclined towards the sun during the equinoxes (around March 20 and September 23), which increases the likelihood of geomagnetic storms and auroral activity

It's important to note that even during the winter months, the aurora is a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed to occur Other factors such as solar activity and weather conditions can also affect visibility It's a good idea to check the aurora forecast and choose a location with minimal light pollution for the best viewing experience.

WILL NELSON

Safety is key Always let someone know where you are going and bring a cell phone and supplies in case of an emergency Remember to dress warmly and bring spare batteries for your camera

Photographs by:

The Hamachek Co

SJ Michals Photography

UP Jeeping

Asa Meadows

Will Nelson

Camera Setup Tips

USE A TRIPOD

Since you will be using a slow shutter speed, a tripod is essential to keep your camera steady and avoid any blurring

SET CAMERA TO MANUAL MODE

Manual mode gives you more control over your camera settings and allows you to adjust for the low light conditions

USE A WIDE-ANGLE LENS

A wide-angle lens allows you to capture more of the aurora and the surrounding landscape

SET YOUR ISO TO A HIGH VALUE

Start with an ISO of 800 or higher to capture as much light as possible without introducing too much noise into the image

USE A WIDE APERTURE

Open up your aperture to a low f-stop, such as f/2.8 or f/4, to let in more light.

USE A SLOW SHUTTER SPEED:

Set your shutter speed to a few seconds or longer to capture the movement of the aurora Experiment with different shutter speeds to find the right one for the conditions.

USE MANUAL FOCUS

Since autofocus can struggle in low light conditions, use manual focus to ensure sharp images

Shoot In Raw Format

Shooting in RAW format gives you more flexibility to adjust the exposure and color temperature in post-processing

Bracket Your Shots

Take multiple shots with different exposures to capture the full range of light in the aurora and landscape.

Call To Action

Let’s secure public access to High Rock forever! Together we can help the DNR add 160 acres a critical outdoor recreation corridor to public lands at the tip of the Keweenaw. This parcel contains over half a mile of the Keweenaw Point Trail, almost half a mile of High Rock Bay Road, and more!

Although this land is currently used, there are no road or trail easements in place, and that means at any time those routes could be closed! KORC has worked over the last 3 years to secure a deal with the current landowner. The DNR has some funds reserved for this acquisition, but not enough to close the deal by March 31, 2023. KORC will be pledging funds donated by our members in December, but we still have more to raise to make up the funding gap.

That’s where we all step in and step up! Copper Harbor Trails Club and a private foundation have generously offered to match every donation dollarfor-dollar, so whatever you are able to contribute, your donation will be matched 1:1 by these funding sources!

View the full details of the Call to Action here: bit ly/korc-highrock

Contribute your matched donation today at www keweenawoutdoorrecreation org/support