Located in Morrison County, Minnesota, Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Little Falls, about 9.9 km (6.2 mi) away (Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge lies ESE of town).
Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, located in central Minnesota, USA, was established in 1992 to preserve a large, natural wetland complex. It is an essential stop for many species of migrating birds. Located within a large watershed that includes Rice, Skunk and Mud Lakes, Platte and Skunk Rivers, Rice and Buckman Creeks, and sedge meadow wetlands, it harbors one of the largest nesting populations of greater sandhill cranes in Minnesota. Habitats include native tallgrass prairie, oak savanna and wetlands with wild rice stands. With a total authorized acquisition boundary of 13,540 acres (54.8 km2) encompassing this important wetland complex and adjacent uplands, the refuge exists as scattered parcels totaling about 2,000 acres (8.1 km2). Existing ownership lies in Little Falls and Agram townships in Morrison County. The refuge is the base for the Federal Partners for Fish and...From the Wikipedia article “Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 54° NE | 9:12 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 124° SE | 4:35 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 41m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:24 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:26 AM – 3:26 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:52 PM – 2:42 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:33 PM – 1:23 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:23 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.43 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 July as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 47 | 62 | 81 | 88 | 91 | 97 | 107 | 101 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 48 |
| Low °F | -41 | -30 | -27 | 1 | 23 | 40 | 47 | 43 | 30 | 7 | -7 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
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.
- 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 Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from Little Falls?
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.