Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. The nearest town is Funny River, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Kenai National Wildlife Refuge lies SE of town).
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is a 1.92-million-acre (7,770 km2) wildlife habitat preserve located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, United States. It is adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park. This refuge was created in 1941 as the Kenai National Moose Range, but in 1980 it was changed to its present status by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The refuge is administered from offices in Soldotna. The Kenai Wilderness protects 1,354,247 acres of the refuge as wilderness area.From the Wikipedia article “Kenai National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kenai National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 34° (NE) at the June solstice and 141° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 326° (NW) in June to 219° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:04 AM | 89° E | 8:17 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:35 AM | 34° NE | 11:34 PM | 326° NW | 53° | 19h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:47 AM | 88° E | 8:04 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:08 AM | 141° SE | 3:54 PM | 219° SW | 6° | 5h 46m |
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 | 8:59 AM | 9:53 AM | 11:30 AM | 2:54 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:25 PM | 6h 39m |
| February | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:47 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:37 PM | 9h 10m |
| March | 7:37 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:15 AM | 7:08 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:46 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:08 PM | 14h 37m |
| May | 4:17 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:30 AM | 9:28 PM | 10:36 PM | 11:42 PM | 17h 14m |
| June | 2:41 AM | 4:35 AM | 5:56 AM | 10:11 PM | 11:32 PM | 1:26 AM | 18h 56m |
| July | 3:42 AM | 5:04 AM | 6:18 AM | 9:59 PM | 11:14 PM | 12:35 AM | 18h 10m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:59 PM | 10:51 PM | 15h 43m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:08 PM | 12h 55m |
| October | 8:00 AM | 8:43 AM | 9:43 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:36 PM | 10h 11m |
| November | 8:13 AM | 9:03 AM | 10:25 AM | 3:11 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:22 PM | 7h 29m |
| December | 9:05 AM | 10:03 AM | 12:18 PM | 1:38 PM | 3:53 PM | 4:51 PM | 5h 49m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.0+ 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 70% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 37 | 39 | 50 | 64 | 72 | 82 | 85 | 82 | 69 | 59 | 47 | 42 |
| Low °F | -23 | -21 | -9 | -4 | 22 | 35 | 40 | 38 | 27 | 2 | -10 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hidden Lake Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Flats Cabin (Chugach National Forest, Ak)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kenai National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kenai National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Kenai National Wildlife Refuge from Funny River?
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.