Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Mason County, Illinois — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Havana, about 9.8 km (6.1 mi) away (Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge lies NNE of town).
The Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Illinois River in Mason County northeast of Havana, Illinois. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as one of the four Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges. The refuge consists of 4,388 acres (17.76 km2) of Illinois River bottomland, nearly all of it wetland. The parcel is the former Chautauqua Drainage and Levee District, a failed riverine polder. In the 1920s, workers with steam shovels surrounded the levee district with a large dike in an attempt to create a large new parcel of agricultural farmland. The levee district proved to be financially unable to maintain the dike, however, and the Illinois River reclaimed the polder. The complex alluvial topography that had existed before this intervention was replaced by the broad shallow pool of Chautauqua Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chautauqua 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 302° (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) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:37 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 19m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Chautauqua 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 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 | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 7:52 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: 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. 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 September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 65 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 93 | 107 | 108 | 104 | 102 | 90 | 77 | 70 |
| Low °F | -24 | -16 | -8 | 20 | 29 | 41 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 17 | 9 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
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.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- 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 Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
Ghost Town
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge from Havana?
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.