Located in Harford County, Maryland, Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Aberdeen Proving Ground, about 5.1 km (3.2 mi) away (Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge lies NE of town).
Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge is located on a small island 3.79 acres (15,300 m2) in size located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River in Harford County, Maryland. It is a satellite refuge managed by Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. In the 1920s, the island was used as a fish hatchery to produce such species as shad. In the early 1940s, 13,363 acres (54.08 km2) of water in the Upper Chesapeake Bay were closed by Presidential Proclamations to the hunting of migratory waterfowl. These water areas were designated as the Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge. At the time of its establishment, the water areas known as the Susquehanna flats were covered with wild celery, pondweeds, redhead grass and other desirable waterfowl foods. Peak waterfowl population numbers included over 500,000 canvasback and redhead ducks and over 200,000 American wigeon. These rich areas of...From the Wikipedia article “Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:36 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 67 | 73 | 78 | 90 | 91 | 96 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 95 | 76 | 70 |
| Low °F | 1 | -4 | -2 | 24 | 33 | 45 | 54 | 54 | 42 | 29 | 21 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseState Park
BeachBeach
State Park
Waterfall
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge from Aberdeen Proving Ground?
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.