Located in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge.
The Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Alaska whose use is regulated as an ecological-protection measure. It stretches along the southern coast of the Alaska Peninsula, between the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge on its east and the end of the peninsula at False Pass in the west. In between, however, it is broken into sections by lands of the Aniakchak National Monument and Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is administered from offices in King Salmon, Alaska and was established to conserve Alaska Peninsula brown bears, caribou, moose, marine mammals, shorebirds, other migratory birds and fish, and to comply with treaty obligations.From the Wikipedia article “Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 43° (NE) at the June solstice and 134° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 317° (NW) in June to 227° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 57° in summer but only 11° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:39 AM | 89° E | 8:50 PM | 271° W | 34° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 43° NE | 11:27 PM | 317° NW | 57° | 17h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:22 AM | 89° E | 8:37 PM | 272° W | 34° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:07 AM | 134° SE | 5:03 PM | 227° SW | 11° | 6h 57m |
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 | 9:13 AM | 9:58 AM | 11:08 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:19 PM | 7h 37m |
| February | 8:23 AM | 9:02 AM | 9:57 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 9h 38m |
| March | 8:15 AM | 8:52 AM | 9:41 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 11h 48m |
| April | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:21 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:43 PM | 10:23 PM | 14h 12m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:21 AM | 9:46 PM | 10:43 PM | 11:33 PM | 16h 19m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:54 AM | 10:21 PM | 11:25 PM | 12:27 AM | 17h 35m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:13 AM | 10:13 PM | 11:13 PM | 12:09 AM | 17h 01m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:01 AM | 9:22 PM | 10:15 PM | 10:58 PM | 15h 06m |
| September | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:58 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:33 PM | 12h 47m |
| October | 8:31 AM | 9:08 AM | 10:00 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 10h 28m |
| November | 8:31 AM | 9:14 AM | 10:18 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:12 PM | 8h 16m |
| December | 9:15 AM | 10:02 AM | 11:21 AM | 3:43 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:49 PM | 7h 00m |
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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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 3.5+ 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 76% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (85%). 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 | 41 | 42 | 45 | 52 | 66 | 72 | 76 | 78 | 68 | 56 | 51 | 46 |
| Low °F | -10 | -10 | -2 | 5 | 21 | 30 | 39 | 39 | 31 | 19 | 9 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
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 Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge?
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.