Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Polk County, Minnesota. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) ESE of Crookston.
Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge was created on October 12, 2004, the 545th National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. Its creation was the result of cooperation between at least 30 agencies or governmental entities. The creation of the refuge was spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy, and the initial endowment of 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) of land was donated by the Conservancy. In light of its planned final size of 37,756 acres (153 km2), it is described by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as "the largest tallgrass prairie and wetland restoration project in U.S. history". Prior to being acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 2000, the majority of Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge was used for marginal farming. More than 20,000 acres that comprise the central region of Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge were restored by the Conservancy with the aid of land stewards,...From the Wikipedia article “Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 53° NE | 9:28 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:12 AM | 125° SE | 4:37 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 25m |
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 | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:11 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:07 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:10 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 9:01 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:00 AM – 4:30 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:01 AM – 3:21 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:35 AM – 2:15 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:04 AM – 1:14 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:44 PM – 11:14 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 50% 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 | 43 | 52 | 79 | 87 | 93 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 86 | 70 | 46 |
| Low °F | -50 | -36 | -33 | 3 | 23 | 35 | 43 | 36 | 28 | 12 | -8 | -37 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge from Crookston?
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.