Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in McIntosh County, Georgia — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Darien, about 25 km (16 mi) away (Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge lies ENE of town).
The Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 5,618 acres (2,274 ha) National Wildlife Refuge located in McIntosh county in Georgia. The refuge was established to provide a nature and forest preserve for aesthetic and conservation purposes. The refuge is one of seven refuges administered by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex in Savannah, Georgia. The complex has a combined staff of 31 with the fiscal year 2005 budget of $3,582,000. About 3,000 acres are protected as a wilderness area.From the Wikipedia article “Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:21 AM | 62° ENE | 8:33 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 117° ESE | 5:27 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 06m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 07m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 6:04 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 4:48 AM | 4.8 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:41 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 3:08 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:04 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 9:05 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 49% 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 | 75 | 78 | 83 | 90 | 98 | 97 | 99 | 98 | 95 | 90 | 83 | 77 |
| Low °F | 24 | 28 | 34 | 44 | 55 | 65 | 72 | 70 | 60 | 44 | 35 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 6.3 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 3.1 |
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 Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkBeachFAQ
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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.