Located in Lyon County, Kansas, Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 19.2 km (11.9 mi) NW of Burlington.
Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a wildlife refuge located north and east of the city of Hartford, Kansas, United States, in northwestern Coffey and southeastern Lyon Counties. It was established in 1966 as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, John Redmond Reservoir flood control project. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 18,463 acres (75 km2) upstream of the reservoir, most of which is in the floodplain of the Neosho River. Refuge habitats, consisting of prairie grasslands, bottomland hardwood timber, shallow wetlands, and croplands, are managed to provide food and habitat for migratory birds and resident wildlife.From the Wikipedia article “Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 59° ENE | 8:51 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 120° ESE | 5:07 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 2:39 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 12:38 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:33 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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. Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 73 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 94 | 106 | 112 | 113 | 107 | 94 | 80 | 73 |
| Low °F | -10 | -3 | -2 | 19 | 31 | 46 | 53 | 49 | 39 | 20 | 9 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Riverside West15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Dam Site15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Riverside East16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Turkey Point24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Arrow Rock24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge from Burlington?
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.