Located in Baldwin County, Alabama, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Gulf Shores, about 11.5 km (7.1 mi) away (Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge lies W of town).
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,157-acre (29 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in five separate units in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, United States, directly west of Gulf Shores, Alabama on the Fort Morgan Peninsula. The refuge serves as a resting and feeding area for migratory birds and as a sanctuary for native flora and fauna. The refuge is one of the largest undeveloped parcels of land on the Alabama coast. Established in 1980, Bon Secour (the name, in French, means "safe harbor") is smaller than most other national wildlife refuges, and is divided into Sand Bayou, Perdue, Little Point Clear, Fort Morgan, and Little Dauphin Island. The Perdue unit is the most developed. Most units are located on the Fort Morgan Peninsula in Baldwin County, except Little Dauphin Island, which is in Mobile County. More than 50,000 guests visit the refuge annually. The fiscal year...From the Wikipedia article “Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 62° ENE | 7:57 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:44 AM | 117° ESE | 4:56 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 13m |
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 Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:19 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:32 PM – 4:12 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:29 PM – 2:39 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:00 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:39 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:41 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.37 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 75 | 77 | 83 | 88 | 96 | 101 | 99 | 100 | 97 | 96 | 86 | 77 |
| Low °F | 22 | 28 | 31 | 41 | 49 | 64 | 67 | 62 | 54 | 40 | 31 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 5.3 |
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 national wildlife refuge
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
State Park
Botanical GardenScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge from Gulf Shores?
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.