Becharof Wilderness is a wilderness area in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska. It sits roughly 193 km (120 mi) W of Kodiak.
Becharof National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in the Aleutian Range of the Alaska Peninsula of southwestern Alaska. It is adjacent to Katmai National Park and Preserve. This national wildlife refuge, which covers an area of 1,200,000 acres (4,900 km2), was established in 1980 to conserve major brown bears, salmon, migratory birds, caribou, marine birds, and mammals and to comply with treaty obligations. It lies primarily in the east-central part of Lake and Peninsula Borough, but extends eastward into the mainland portion of Kodiak Island Borough. The refuge is administered from offices in King Salmon. Becharof Wilderness it comprises approximately 500,000 acres (2,000 km2) and is bordered by the Katmai Wilderness on the north. It was designated a wilderness area in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.From the Wikipedia article “Becharof National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Becharof Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 40° (NE) at the June solstice and 137° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 321° (NW) in June to 224° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 9° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:25 AM | 89° E | 8:37 PM | 271° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 40° NE | 11:30 PM | 321° NW | 56° | 18h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:09 AM | 88° E | 8:24 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:07 AM | 137° SE | 4:36 PM | 224° SW | 9° | 6h 28m |
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 | 9:08 AM | 9:56 AM | 11:15 AM | 3:50 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:57 PM | 7h 13m |
| February | 8:13 AM | 8:54 AM | 9:53 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:21 PM | 7:02 PM | 9h 27m |
| March | 8:00 AM | 8:39 AM | 9:31 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:05 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:17 PM | 14h 22m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:01 AM | 9:39 PM | 10:41 PM | 11:36 PM | 16h 41m |
| June | 4:06 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:31 AM | 10:17 PM | 11:27 PM | 12:42 AM | 18h 07m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:51 AM | 10:08 PM | 11:14 PM | 12:17 AM | 17h 29m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:43 AM | 9:13 PM | 10:09 PM | 10:55 PM | 15h 21m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:45 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:23 PM | 12h 50m |
| October | 8:19 AM | 8:58 AM | 9:54 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 10h 21m |
| November | 8:25 AM | 9:10 AM | 10:20 AM | 3:56 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:52 PM | 7h 57m |
| December | 9:11 AM | 10:03 AM | 11:36 AM | 3:02 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:26 PM | 6h 32m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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 | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 2.5+ 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 73% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 44 | 43 | 45 | 52 | 63 | 71 | 70 | 71 | 63 | 54 | 49 | 47 |
| Low °F | -9 | 0 | -1 | 13 | 28 | 38 | 44 | 44 | 35 | 14 | 1 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.2 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 5.1 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Becharof Wilderness, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Becharof Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Becharof Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Becharof Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Becharof Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Becharof Wilderness?
How far is Becharof Wilderness from Kodiak?
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.