Located in Washington County, Maine, Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Machiasport, about 12.6 km (7.8 mi) away (Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge lies SE of town).
Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in the state of Maine. It is one of the five refuges that together make up the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, along with Petit Manan, Franklin Island, Seal Island, and Pond Island. Cross Island NWR has a surface area of 1,700 acres (6.9 km2). It is part of the Town of Cutler.From the Wikipedia article “Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:45 AM | 55° NE | 8:19 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 123° ESE | 3:52 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:28 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:44 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:07 AM | 4:44 AM | 5:29 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 4:23 AM | 4:59 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:01 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:16 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:03 PM | 4:34 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:02 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:24 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 2:46 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 12:50 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:21 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 54 | 51 | 59 | 59 | 69 | 76 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 70 | 63 | 57 |
| Low °F | -5 | -6 | 2 | 21 | 35 | 42 | 51 | 51 | 43 | 32 | 14 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.9 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Waterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge from Machiasport?
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.