Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Marshall County, Kentucky — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.7 km (2.3 mi) NNW of Benton.
Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge is an 11,890-acre (48.1 km2) bottomland hardwood forest in western Kentucky near Benton. The refuge lies along the East Fork of the Clarks River and is the seasonal home to more than 200 species of migratory birds. The bottom lands are dominated with overcup oaks, bald cypress, and tupelo-gum, and the slightly higher, better drained areas are covered with willow oak, swamp chestnut oak, red oak, sweet gum, sycamore, ash, and elm.From the Wikipedia article “Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 60° ENE | 8:17 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 119° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:50 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:07 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). August 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 | 72 | 73 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 108 | 108 | 108 | 103 | 96 | 85 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | -3 | 4 | 23 | 35 | 48 | 55 | 51 | 40 | 28 | 14 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
LakeLake
State Park
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Canal17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Eureka21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Old Kuttawa29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge from Benton?
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.