Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Valley County, Montana — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Miles City, about 174 km (108 mi) away (Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge lies NW of town).
The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (abbreviated as the CMR NWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Montana on the Missouri River. The refuge surrounds Fort Peck Reservoir and is 915,814 acres (3,706.17 km2) in size. It is the second-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the lower 48 states of the United States, and the largest in Montana. Created in 1936, it was originally called the Fort Peck Game Range. It was renamed in 1963 after Montana artist Charles M. Russell, a famous painter of the American West. In 1976, the "range" was made a "refuge" (which legally changed the way the area was managed).From the Wikipedia article “Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Charles M. Russell 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) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 53° NE | 9:11 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 125° SE | 4:20 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 27m |
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 Charles M. Russell 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 3:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 3:05 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:19 AM – 1:59 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:48 PM – 12:58 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 10:58 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: 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 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 42% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 61 | 65 | 78 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 110 | 104 | 99 | 92 | 74 | 60 |
| Low °F | -26 | -19 | -28 | 9 | 24 | 37 | 49 | 42 | 28 | 4 | -4 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 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
- 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 Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge from Miles 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.