Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. The nearest town is Maringouin, about 15.0 km (9.3 mi) away (Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge lies WSW of town).
The Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is located about 30 miles (48 km) west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and one mile (1.6 km) east of Krotz Springs, Louisiana, lies just east of the Atchafalaya River. In 1988 under the administration of Governor Foster the "Atchafalaya Basin Master Plan" was implemented that combined the 11,780-acre (4,770 ha) Sherburne Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the 15,220-acre (6,160 ha) Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, and the 17,000-acre (6,900 ha) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Bayou Des Ourses (Bayou of the Bears) into the Sherburne Complex Wildlife Management Area.From the Wikipedia article “Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:06 AM | 62° ENE | 8:13 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:00 AM | 117° ESE | 5:11 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 11m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 06m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 12m |
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 Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:36 AM – 5:56 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:36 PM – 4:36 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.5 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:56 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:55 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:57 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.46 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 98 | 103 | 107 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 99 | 89 | 82 |
| Low °F | 17 | 22 | 21 | 34 | 40 | 58 | 64 | 56 | 48 | 33 | 21 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 5.1 |
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 Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge from Maringouin?
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.