Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Bear Lake County, Idaho. The nearest town is Montpelier, about 17.7 km (11.0 mi) away (Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies S of town).
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeast Idaho, seven miles (11 km) south of Montpelier. Surrounded by mountains, it lies in Bear Lake Valley at an elevation ranging from 5,925 feet (1,806 m) on the marsh to 6,800 feet (2,100 m) on the rocky slopes of Merkley Mountain. The refuge office is located in Montpelier. The 19,000-acre (77 km2) refuge is mainly made up of a bulrush marsh, open water, and flooded meadows of sedges, rushes, and grasses. Portions of the refuge include scattered grasslands and brush-covered slopes. Bear Lake Refuge encompasses what is locally referred to as Dingle Swamp or Dingle Marsh. Along with Bear Lake proper, the marsh was once part of a larger prehistoric lake that filled the valley. As it drained and receded, Dingle Marsh was reduced from 25,000 acres (100 km2) to less than 17,000 before it became part of the refuge.From the Wikipedia article “Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bear Lake 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 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 57° ENE | 9:06 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 122° ESE | 4:57 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 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 | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:05 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:57 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:17 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:07 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 12:05 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 10:02 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 35 | 43 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 89 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 78 | 61 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -19 | -14 | -6 | 17 | 22 | 35 | 32 | 22 | 2 | -18 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Cave
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- St. Charles Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Paris Springs Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Davis Canyon Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Porcupine (Id)18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Cloverleaf Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge from Montpelier?
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.