Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Imperial County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Westmorland, about 16.3 km (10.1 mi) away (Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge lies NW of town).
The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Imperial Valley of California, 40 miles (64 km) north of the Mexican border. Situated at the southern end of the Salton Sea, the refuge protects one of the most important nesting sites and stopovers along the Pacific Flyway. Despite its location in the Colorado Desert, a subdivision of the larger Sonoran Desert, the refuge contains marine, freshwater, wetland, and agricultural habitats which provide sanctuary for hundreds of birds and wetland species, including several that have been listed as endangered or sensitive by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.From the Wikipedia article “Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 61° ENE | 7:56 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:43 AM | 118° ESE | 4:41 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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 | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:02 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 58m |
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 Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | 4:12 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:21 AM – 4:41 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:22 PM – 4:02 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:37 PM – 3:47 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:33 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:00 PM – 12:20 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 10:14 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.42 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (39%). 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 | 86 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 110 | 118 | 120 | 115 | 116 | 104 | 92 | 81 |
| Low °F | 27 | 27 | 34 | 38 | 46 | 51 | 62 | 60 | 52 | 42 | 32 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
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Wilderness Area
State ParkFAQ
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge?
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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.