Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Blaine County, Montana. The nearest town is Fort Belknap Agency, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge lies NE of town).
Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,308-acre (529 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Montana near the Canada–US border. This very remote refuge is a part of the Bowdoin Wetland Management District (WMD), and is unstaffed. The refuge is managed from Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge.From the Wikipedia article “Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 52° NE | 9:21 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:05 AM | 126° SE | 4:21 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:54 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:29 AM | 5:11 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:19 PM | 10:01 PM | 16h 08m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:28 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:55 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 18m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:04 AM – 4:14 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:01 AM – 2:51 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:02 AM – 2:42 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:10 AM – 12:50 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:40 PM – 10:40 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 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 41% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 56 | 63 | 77 | 87 | 92 | 98 | 103 | 105 | 95 | 89 | 69 | 51 |
| Low °F | -28 | -25 | -28 | 7 | 23 | 35 | 47 | 40 | 21 | 7 | -7 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge from Fort Belknap Agency?
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.