Located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge.
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge is a dynamic landscape made up of forests, wetlands, tundra, lakes, mountains and glacial rivers bounded by the snowy peaks of the Alaska Range. This upper Tanana River valley has been called the "Tetlin Passage", because it serves as a major migratory route for birds traveling to and from Canada, the lower 48 and both Central and South America. Many of these birds breed and nest on the refuge. Others pass through on their way to breeding and nesting grounds elsewhere in the state. Migrants, including ducks, geese, swans, cranes, raptors and songbirds, begin arriving in the valley in April, and continue into early June. An estimated 116 species breed on Tetlin during the short summer, when long days and warm temperatures accelerate the growth of plants, insects and other invertebrates, providing a ready source of rich foods for nesting birds.From the Wikipedia article “Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 27° (NNE) at the June solstice and 147° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 334° (NNW) in June to 213° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 51° in summer but only 4° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:26 AM | 27° NNE | 11:33 PM | 334° NNW | 51° | 20h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 88° E | 7:30 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:00 AM | 147° SSE | 2:52 PM | 213° SSW | 4° | 4h 52m |
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 | 8:38 AM | 9:39 AM | 12:05 PM | 1:10 PM | 3:36 PM | 4:37 PM | 5h 57m |
| February | 7:28 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:29 AM | 3:55 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:56 PM | 8h 51m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:46 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 5:10 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:46 PM | 14h 53m |
| May | 3:06 AM | 4:28 AM | 5:45 AM | 9:05 PM | 10:21 PM | 11:43 PM | 17h 53m |
| June | — | 3:28 AM | 5:05 AM | 9:52 PM | 11:30 PM | — | 20h 02m |
| July | — | 4:03 AM | 5:29 AM | 9:38 PM | 11:05 PM | — | 19h 02m |
| August | 4:30 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:36 PM | 16h 08m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 00m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:20 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:59 PM | 9h 59m |
| November | 7:49 AM | 8:45 AM | 10:24 AM | 2:02 PM | 3:41 PM | 4:36 PM | 6h 56m |
| December | 8:47 AM | 9:55 AM | — | — | 2:52 PM | 4:00 PM | 4h 56m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| 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 54% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 39 | 34 | 42 | 65 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 78 | 72 | 64 | 36 | 33 |
| Low °F | -48 | -48 | -48 | -14 | 11 | 24 | 33 | 25 | 12 | -15 | -41 | -42 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 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
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tetlin 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.