Lostwood Wilderness — a wilderness area in Burke County, North Dakota — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Kenmare, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Lostwood Wilderness lies W of town).
Lostwood Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Created by an act of Congress in 1975, the wilderness covers an area of 5,577 acres (22.56 km2). Contained within Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge, the wilderness is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Designated to preserve a region well known for numerous lakes and mixed grass prairie, the wilderness ensures that the finest duck and waterfowl breeding region in North America remains wild and unimproved. U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are usually allowed with a proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.From the Wikipedia article “Lostwood Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lostwood Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:54 AM | 89° E | 8:03 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 52° NE | 9:57 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:37 AM | 89° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:40 AM | 126° SE | 4:57 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 8:02 AM | 8:38 AM | 9:30 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:43 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:46 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:37 AM | 9:05 PM | 9:55 PM | 10:37 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:52 AM | 9:01 PM | 9:49 PM | 10:29 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:36 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:54 AM | 6:19 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:34 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 13m |
| December | 8:00 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:31 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 8h 18m |
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 Lostwood Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:40 AM – 4:50 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:37 AM – 3:27 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:38 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:46 AM – 1:26 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:16 PM – 11:16 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 3.0+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 49 | 57 | 74 | 87 | 90 | 96 | 106 | 103 | 94 | 82 | 67 | 49 |
| Low °F | -43 | -32 | -24 | -3 | 20 | 36 | 44 | 38 | 26 | 6 | -15 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 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
- 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
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 Lostwood Wilderness, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lostwood Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Lostwood Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lostwood Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lostwood Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lostwood Wilderness?
How far is Lostwood Wilderness from Kenmare?
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.