Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Quitman County, Mississippi — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.0 km (7.5 mi) NW of Charleston.
The Coldwater National Wildlife Refuge is located in northwest Mississippi, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of the town of Crowder. Established in 2000, this small refuge consists of 2,069 acres (837 ha) within an acquisition boundary of 16,000 acres (6,500 ha). The centerpiece of the refuge is 25 old catfish ponds ranging in size from 9 to 21 acres (3.6 to 8.5 ha) and totaling 495 acres (200 ha). These ponds are intensively managed for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds. A majority of the refuge has been reforested in native bottomland hardwood species. Almost the entire refuge is flooded annually during the winter/spring by the Coldwater and Tallahatchie Rivers. Up to 50,000 migratory waterfowl winter on the refuge and 34 species of shorebirds have been recorded during spring and fall migration. Peregrine falcon, least tern, black tern, bald and golden eagles, and wood stork...From the Wikipedia article “Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 61° ENE | 8:16 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 118° ESE | 4:56 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 53m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:50 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:53 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 3:59 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:55 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:21 PM – 12:31 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:34 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:31 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 75 | 78 | 82 | 89 | 96 | 108 | 108 | 111 | 103 | 101 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 6 | 10 | 11 | 27 | 37 | 55 | 60 | 55 | 45 | 28 | 19 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
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 Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Persimmon Hill Day Use Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Riverview23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Outlet Channel (Enid Lake)23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Mccurdy Point24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Hickory Ridge24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge from Charleston?
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.