Located in Kidder County, North Dakota, Chase Lake Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. It sits roughly 55 km (34 mi) SSW of Carrington.
Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota around Chase Lake. The majority of the land area of the refuge has been designated as wilderness and is known as the Chase Lake Wilderness. The refuge is one of the oldest in the U.S., having been set aside in 1908. The refuge is home to one of the largest nesting colonies of white pelicans in the U.S.From the Wikipedia article “Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chase Lake Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 89° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 53° NE | 9:37 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:22 AM | 125° SE | 4:52 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 30m |
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 | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:09 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:50 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:35 PM | 10:15 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:08 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:23 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:10 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 8h 32m |
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 Chase Lake Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | 6:06 AM – 6:06 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:59 AM – 4:49 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:06 AM – 3:36 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:31 AM – 2:41 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:06 AM – 1:36 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:53 PM – 11:33 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 July as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 48 | 61 | 77 | 86 | 91 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 101 | 87 | 70 | 51 |
| Low °F | -40 | -32 | -20 | 1 | 20 | 37 | 44 | 40 | 28 | 11 | -9 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- 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 Chase Lake Wilderness, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chase Lake Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Chase Lake Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chase Lake Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chase Lake Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chase Lake Wilderness?
How far is Chase Lake Wilderness from Carrington?
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.