Located in Santa Cruz County, California, Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is La Selva Beach, about 2.6 km (1.6 mi) away (Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge lies ESE of town).
The Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in the northern part of the Monterey Bay area of California. Originally established to protect the habitat of the threatened Santa Cruz long-toed salamander subspecies, Ellicott Slough also harbors other species later federally listed as threatened due to habitat loss, including the California red-legged frog, California tiger salamander and robust spineflower. The refuge was established after the California Department of Fish and Game purchased the property from its original owner. It is made up of four discontinuous units all separated by less than 2.7 miles. The refuge experiences a mild climate influenced by the Pacific Ocean. Temperatures are generally from 50 to 75 °F (10 to 24 °C). The terrain is both hilly and flat.From the Wikipedia article “Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ellicott Slough 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 60° ENE | 8:31 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 119° ESE | 4:55 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 39m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.44 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 80 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 110 | 113 | 102 | 90 | 77 |
| Low °F | 20 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
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
- 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.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
State Park
State Park
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge from La Selva Beach?
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.