Modoc National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Modoc County, California. It sits roughly 3.9 km (2.4 mi) SSE of Alturas.
Modoc National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in northeastern California. It is next to the South Fork of the Pit River in Modoc County, southeast of Alturas. The area was first claimed by the Dorris Family in 1870 under the first of the federal Homestead Acts. The family developed a livestock ranch and built a reservoir. The first 5,360 acres were purchased from the family in 1960 to establish the refuge. Over the years more territory was purchased from several landowners, and today the refuge covers over 7,000 acres. The refuge is located about 60 miles outside the Klamath Basin. It is on the western edge of the Great Basin and includes many types of habitat, such as seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands, wet meadows, riparian zones, sagebrush steppe, reservoir, and cropland. It is a staging area and wetland breeding habitat for migratory...From the Wikipedia article “Modoc National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Modoc National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 57° ENE | 8:40 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 121° ESE | 4:36 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:32 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:40 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:48 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:48 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:47 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 7:54 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.29 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 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 61 | 64 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 98 | 102 | 99 | 98 | 88 | 74 | 59 |
| Low °F | -10 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 29 | 39 | 38 | 28 | 19 | 4 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
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
- 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 Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaHot Spring
National Forest
Natural ArchHot SpringFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Modoc National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Modoc National Wildlife Refuge from Alturas?
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.