Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Houma, about 11.4 km (7.1 mi) away (Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge lies SW of town).
Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge established in 1996, is located in Terrebonne Parish, 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Houma, Louisiana. It is one of eight refuges of the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex (SELA). The 4,619-acre (18.69 km2) refuge is composed of freshwater marsh and cypress-tupelo swamp. The refuge provides habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, and neotropical songbirds. Access is by boat only and foot travel is extremely difficult due to the soft marsh environment. The refuge is open year-round to the public from sunrise to sunset, with seasonal restrictions in some areas. Wildlife observation, boating and fishing are allowed on the refuge year round except in areas closed to public access. Hunting is permitted on the refuge in specific areas and under date, time, and lottery restrictions.From the Wikipedia article “Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mandalay 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 62° ENE | 8:07 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 117° ESE | 5:10 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 16m |
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 Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:23 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:29 PM – 4:39 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:58 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 1:00 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:50 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:53 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.93 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 July as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 78 | 81 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 97 | 93 | 91 | 83 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 29 | 30 | 40 | 48 | 67 | 72 | 64 | 59 | 42 | 32 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 4.5 |
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.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Mandalay National Wildlife Refuge from Houma?
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.