Located in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska, Andreafsky Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 208 km (129 mi) NNW of Bethel.
The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge covering about 19.16 million acres (77,500 km2) in southwestern Alaska. It is the second-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, only slightly smaller than the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is a coastal plain extending to the Bering Sea, covering the delta created by the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. The delta includes extensive wetlands near sea level that are often inundated by Bering Sea tides. It is bordered on the east by Wood-Tikchik State Park, the largest state park in the United States. The refuge is administered from offices in Bethel.From the Wikipedia article “Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Andreafsky Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 27° (NNE) at the June solstice and 147° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 333° (NNW) in June to 213° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 51° in summer but only 4° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:52 AM | 89° E | 9:06 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:50 AM | 27° NNE | 12:56 AM | 333° NNW | 51° | 20h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:35 AM | 88° E | 8:53 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 11:23 AM | 147° SSE | 4:16 PM | 213° SSW | 4° | 4h 53m |
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 | 10:01 AM | 11:01 AM | 1:24 PM | 2:37 PM | 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5h 58m |
| February | 8:51 AM | 9:39 AM | 10:52 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:20 PM | 8h 52m |
| March | 8:23 AM | 9:08 AM | 10:09 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:37 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:15 PM | 10:17 PM | 11:09 PM | 14h 53m |
| May | 4:30 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:08 AM | 10:28 PM | 11:44 PM | 1:06 AM | 17h 53m |
| June | — | 4:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 11:15 PM | 12:52 AM | — | 20h 01m |
| July | — | 5:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 11:01 PM | 12:27 AM | — | 19h 00m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:59 AM | 9:53 PM | 10:59 PM | 11:58 PM | 16h 07m |
| September | 7:30 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:16 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:16 PM | 10:03 PM | 13h 00m |
| October | 8:51 AM | 9:37 AM | 10:43 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:22 PM | 9h 59m |
| November | 9:12 AM | 10:08 AM | 11:46 AM | 3:26 PM | 5:04 PM | 6:00 PM | 6h 57m |
| December | 10:09 AM | 11:18 AM | — | — | 4:15 PM | 5:24 PM | 4h 58m |
Local time (America/Nome), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 55% average cloud cover) and July 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 | 36 | 34 | 35 | 55 | 74 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 68 | 55 | 42 | 36 |
| Low °F | -39 | -38 | -30 | -15 | 2 | 26 | 34 | 31 | 25 | -4 | -29 | -37 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
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 wilderness area
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Andreafsky Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Andreafsky Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Andreafsky Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Andreafsky Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Andreafsky Wilderness?
How far is Andreafsky Wilderness from Bethel?
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.