Located in Aroostook County, Maine, Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 5.7 km (3.5 mi) NW of Limestone.
Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge is located on part of the former Loring Air Force Base, in Aroostook County, Maine. It was established in 1998, when 4,700 acres (19 km2) were transferred from the United States Air Force to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This refuge also administers some 2,400 acres (970 ha) of wetland conservation easements throughout Aroostook County. It is close to the Aroostook State Park where visitors can camp, hike, fish, and cross-country ski. In a portion of Maine where the landscape is dominated by agricultural crops such as potatoes and broccoli, Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge protects valuable wildlife habitat. The variety of habitat types attracts a diversity of wildlife species. The refuge has a surface area of 5,252 acres (21.25 km2). It occurs in the towns of Limestone, Caswell, Connor, and Caribou.From the Wikipedia article “Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:37 AM | 53° NE | 8:31 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:19 AM | 89° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 125° SE | 3:46 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:44 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:21 AM | 4:57 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:16 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:36 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 3:57 AM | 4:37 AM | 5:24 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 4:14 AM | 4:52 AM | 5:38 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 4:56 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:12 PM | 3:59 PM | 4:32 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:03 AM | 2:52 PM | 3:44 PM | 4:19 PM | 8h 33m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:52 AM – 3:42 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 12:59 AM – 2:29 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:24 PM – 1:34 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 12:29 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 10:26 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 8:30 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.0+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 49 | 47 | 70 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 75 | 65 | 57 |
| Low °F | -33 | -30 | -22 | -3 | 24 | 31 | 43 | 39 | 27 | 19 | -6 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge from Limestone?
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.