Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Penobscot County, Maine — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Milford, about 7.6 km (4.7 mi) away (Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge lies ENE of town).
Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Town of Milford, Penobscot County, Maine, approximately fourteen miles north of Bangor. The refuge was established in 1988 to ensure the ecological integrity of the Sunkhaze Meadows peat bog and the continued availability of its wetland, stream, forest and wildlife resources to the citizens of the United States. The purpose of acquisition, under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 was "... for the development, advancement, management, conservation, and protection of fish and wildlife resources ..". and "... for the benefit of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, in performing its activities and services. Such acceptance may be subject to the terms of any restrictive or affirmative covenant, or condition of servitude ..". The Land and Water Conservation Fund was the source of funding for the purchaseFrom the Wikipedia article “Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sunkhaze Meadows 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 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:38 AM | 90° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:48 AM | 55° NE | 8:25 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:22 AM | 89° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 123° ESE | 3:56 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:32 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:11 AM | 4:48 AM | 5:33 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 4:27 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:39 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:05 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:28 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:38 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 3:57 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 2:55 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 12:50 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 10:57 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 8:48 PM | 0.3 | 12° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.39 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 53 | 51 | 72 | 73 | 81 | 88 | 89 | 93 | 94 | 79 | 64 | 60 |
| Low °F | -19 | -19 | -13 | 15 | 29 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 6 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
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
- 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.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Botanical Garden
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
LakeFAQ
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Where does the sun rise and set at Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from Milford?
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.