Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Holt County, Missouri. The nearest town is Mound City, about 6.9 km (4.3 mi) away (Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge lies S of town).
Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Missouri, United States (formerly Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge). It was established in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge comprises 7,350 acres (30 km2) along the eastern edge of the Missouri River floodplain south of Mound City, Missouri in Holt County, Missouri. The refuge is bounded by the Loess Hills on the east with a trail going to the top built originally by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The most dramatic moments occur during spring and fall migrations, when the refuge serves as a chokepoint for hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese (particularly snow geese) on the Central Flyway. As many as 475 bald eagles have been sighted on the refuge in the winter. The refuge annually celebrates the eagle...From the Wikipedia article “Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 58° ENE | 8:54 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 121° ESE | 4:59 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:55 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 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 43% 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 | 60 | 70 | 83 | 90 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 106 | 100 | 90 | 77 | 67 |
| Low °F | -19 | -8 | -8 | 17 | 30 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 39 | 21 | 9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge from Mound City?
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.