Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Siskiyou County, California. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) S of Altamont. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States on the border between California and Oregon. It is operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 16, 1965. Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, was the first waterfowl refuge in the United States. It is located in the Klamath Basin near Klamath Falls, Oregon. It has a total area of 50,912.68 acres (206.04 km2), of which 44,294.55 acres (179.25 km2) are in California and 6,618.13 acres (26.78 km2) are in Oregon. The refuge includes shallow freshwater marshes, open water, grassy uplands, and croplands that are intensively managed to provide foraging and breeding habitat for waterfowl and other animals. The market hunting of migratory birds in the late 19th...From the Wikipedia article “Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 57° ENE | 8:46 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
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
- 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.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Lake
Natural Arch
Hot Spring
National Wildlife Refuge
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge from Altamont?
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.