Located in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR, pronounced as "ANN-warr") or Arctic Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States, on traditional Iñupiaq and Gwich'in lands. The refuge covers an area of 19,286,722 acres (78,050.59 km2) in the Alaska North Slope region, with a northern coastline and vast inland forest, taiga, and tundra regions. ANWR is the largest national wildlife refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is administered from offices in Fairbanks. ANWR is home to a diverse range of endemic mammal species; notably, it is one of the few North American locations with all three endemic American bears, the polar bear, grizzly bear, and American black bear, each of which resides predominantly in its own ecological niche. Besides bears, other mammal species include moose, caribou, wolves, red...From the Wikipedia article “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At this latitude the sun does not rise or set on some days of the year, so check the monthly table below for daylight and twilight.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 88° E | 7:54 PM | 272° W | 21° | 12h 17m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | — | — | — | — | 45° | — |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 87° E | 7:42 PM | 273° W | 22° | 12h 23m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | — | — | — | — | -2° | — |
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 | 9:37 AM | 11:27 AM | — | — | 2:07 PM | 3:57 PM | 2h 40m |
| February | 7:56 AM | 9:00 AM | 10:50 AM | 2:54 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:48 PM | 7h 45m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:58 AM | 9:15 AM | 6:18 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:32 PM | 11h 37m |
| April | 4:29 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:46 PM | 15h 51m |
| May | — | 3:09 AM | 5:15 AM | 9:54 PM | 12:00 AM | — | 20h 51m |
| June | — | — | 4:11 AM | 11:06 PM | — | — | — |
| July | — | — | 4:47 AM | 10:40 PM | — | — | — |
| August | 3:09 AM | 4:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 9:02 PM | 10:32 PM | 12:16 AM | 17h 40m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:57 PM | 8:12 PM | 9:12 PM | 13h 19m |
| October | 7:45 AM | 8:44 AM | 10:13 AM | 4:34 PM | 6:03 PM | 7:01 PM | 9h 18m |
| November | 8:37 AM | 10:00 AM | — | — | 2:45 PM | 4:08 PM | 4h 45m |
| December | 10:00 AM | — | — | — | — | 3:06 PM | — |
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 | — | -15° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| April | No darkness | — | — | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -16° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 0.0+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 43 | 60 | 69 | 69 | 68 | 57 | 45 | 30 | 26 |
| Low °F | -48 | -46 | -45 | -34 | -15 | 17 | 22 | 18 | 0 | -21 | -38 | -46 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arctic 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.