War Horse National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Petroleum County, Montana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Roundup, about 51 km (32 mi) away (War Horse National Wildlife Refuge lies N of town).
War Horse National Wildlife Refuge, located in the center of the U.S. state of Montana, is divided into three separate sections, with each centered on a small body of water. It is an integral part of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Complex, although the refuge is normally unstaffed and has few visitor improvements. One reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout, although the lake is sometimes empty. When the lakes and reservoirs are fully filled, the refuge provides excellent habitat for migratory bird species. The region is surrounded by sagebrush plains and Ponderosa pine groves that flourish in the region solely due to its acid-shale soils. Along with over 100 bird species, regular inhabitants include Sage Grouse, pronghorn and mule deer.From the Wikipedia article “War Horse National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At War Horse 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 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 53° NE | 9:13 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 125° SE | 4:28 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 33m |
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 War Horse National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:25 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:12 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:07 AM – 2:17 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:42 PM – 1:12 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 11:08 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 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 41% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 62 | 76 | 86 | 91 | 100 | 108 | 102 | 98 | 90 | 72 | 57 |
| Low °F | -28 | -23 | -31 | 8 | 22 | 32 | 42 | 40 | 21 | 0 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 War Horse National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at War Horse National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at War Horse National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from War Horse National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at War Horse National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is War Horse National Wildlife Refuge from Roundup?
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.