Located in Lincoln County, Maine, Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Friendship, about 10.8 km (6.7 mi) away (Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge lies SSW of town).
Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge on Franklin Island outside Muscongus Bay in the state of Maine, United States. It is one of the five refuges that together make up the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, along with Petit Manan, Cross Island, Seal Island, and Pond Island. Franklin Island NWR has a surface area of 12 acres (4.9 ha). It is one of the smallest refuges in the United States National Wildlife Refuge system. It is part of the Town of Friendship. The U.S. Government acquired Franklin Island in 1806 and completed construction of the Franklin Island Light in 1808. This was the third lighthouse built in Maine. The U.S. Lighthouse Service and its successor, the U.S. Coast Guard, continued to staff the lighthouse for 160 years before the station was automated in 1967. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired Franklin Island in...From the Wikipedia article “Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:56 AM | 56° NE | 8:24 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:25 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 123° ESE | 4:03 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:39 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:19 AM | 4:55 AM | 5:39 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:35 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:16 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:44 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:01 PM | 4:34 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:06 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:03 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:05 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 8:58 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.62 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 49% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (73%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 53 | 50 | 55 | 57 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 71 | 65 | 62 | 57 |
| Low °F | 2 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 37 | 45 | 54 | 56 | 50 | 39 | 19 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.7 |
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 Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge from Friendship?
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.