Located in Pope County, Arkansas, Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Pottsville, about 11.9 km (7.4 mi) away (Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge lies S of town).
Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,055 acre (28.6 km2) wildlife refuge located 5 miles south-east of Dardanelle, Arkansas. The Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge is bounded on one side by the Arkansas River and on its other sides by an oxbow lake that was formerly the main channel of the Arkansas. The oxbow lake was formed in 1954 by the Army Corps of Engineers during their efforts to straighten the Arkansas River navigation channel. The island that was formed by this project between the old and new channels was transferred to the US Department of the Interior in 1957 for use as a wildlife refuge. The land was formerly agricultural land but was abandoned after the 1927 flood. The primary function of this refuge is to provide a winter home for ducks and geese that migrate from the north along the Mississippi Flyway each year. Up to 100,000 of these fowl live in the refuge...From the Wikipedia article “Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 60° ENE | 8:31 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 119° ESE | 5:05 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 5:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 5:04 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 4:19 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:16 PM – 4:06 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:35 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:36 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.43 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 73 | 79 | 85 | 93 | 96 | 109 | 107 | 115 | 105 | 92 | 84 | 77 |
| Low °F | 4 | -1 | 9 | 22 | 34 | 51 | 56 | 53 | 43 | 27 | 17 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
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.
- 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 Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Natural Arch
Waterfall
State Park
Wilderness AreaWaterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Old Post Road15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Quarry Cove23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Carden Point23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- River Road23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cherokee (Arkansas River)25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge from Pottsville?
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.