Great River National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Pike County, Illinois — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.5 km (4.0 mi) E of Louisiana.
The Great River National Wildlife Refuge protects approximately 11,600 acres (47 km2) along 120 miles (190 km) of the Mississippi River, stretching north of St. Louis, Missouri. Three separate units are located in the floodplain, on both the Illinois and Missouri sides of the river. In 1998, the Great River Refuge was designated as a globally Important Bird Area, due to its value to shorebirds, songbirds, and waterfowl. The refuge's proximity to St. Louis provides excellent educational opportunities to a large population. The Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge is also under the administration of the Great River Refuge. Great River Refuge, in turn, was formerly part of the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which also included: Port Louisa, Two Rivers, and Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuges.From the Wikipedia article “Great River National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Great River National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Great River National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.41 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 42% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 67 | 74 | 79 | 87 | 92 | 107 | 109 | 106 | 104 | 94 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -15 | -10 | -1 | 19 | 33 | 46 | 50 | 48 | 36 | 21 | 9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 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
- 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 Great River National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Natural Arch
Ghost TownNatural Arch
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Great River National Wildlife Refuge?
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Where does the sun rise and set at Great River National Wildlife Refuge?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Great River National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Great River National Wildlife Refuge from Louisiana?
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.