Located in Jackson County, Colorado, Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Steamboat Springs, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge lies ENE of town).
The Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in north-central Colorado. It is one of over 560 national wildlife refuges which manages and protects natural resources for future generations. The refuge is located in North Park in central Jackson County south of the town of Walden. The refuge was established in 1967 to furnish waterfowl with a suitable place to nest and rear their young. It was created in part to offset losses of nesting habitat in the prairie wetland region of the Midwest. It is located in the valley of the Illinois River, a tributary of the North Platte River. It is administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming is administered by Arapaho National Wildlife RefugeFrom the Wikipedia article “Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:40 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 121° ESE | 4:42 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:47 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:57 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.76 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 37 | 34 | 60 | 67 | 81 | 87 | 88 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 58 | 45 |
| Low °F | -26 | -40 | -21 | -14 | 1 | 22 | 33 | 31 | 20 | -5 | -22 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 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 Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain PassMountain Peak
Lake
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Aspen Campground23 km (15 mi)
- Grizzly Creek Guard Station27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Sage Campground28 km (18 mi)
- Teal Lake Group Campsite28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge from Steamboat Springs?
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.