Located in York County, Maine, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Kennebunk, about 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away (Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge lies S of town).
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a 9,125-acre (37 km2) National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along 50 miles (80 km) of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring raised public awareness of the effects of DDT on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues. The refuge's parcels include protected areas between Kittery and Cape Elizabeth, including land in Wells, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Biddeford, Saco, and Scarborough. The refuge protects 1,167 acres (4.72 km2) of estuary salt marsh and uplands that drain into the Webhannet River, or about one-ninth of the river's watershed. The refuge's headquarters are on Route 9 in Wells. The refuge protects various kinds of habitat, including barrier beach, dune, tidal estuary, salt marsh, and rocky coastline. The piping...From the Wikipedia article “Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (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) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 56° NE | 8:27 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 122° ESE | 4:10 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:11 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 2:34 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.99 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 73 | 85 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 95 | 94 | 79 | 68 | 62 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | -6 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 39 | 25 | 8 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
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
- 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.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
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WaterfallWaterfall
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
State Park
BeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge from Kennebunk?
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.