Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Washoe County, Nevada — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 38 km (24 mi) NNE of Spanish Springs.
The Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge on Anaho Island in Pyramid Lake, Nevada. The refuge was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 as a sanctuary for colonial nesting birds. It is home to one of the two largest colonies of pelicans—American white pelicans—in the western U.S. Other birds found on the island include California gulls, Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, and snowy egrets. No boats are allowed within 1000 feet of the refuge. Refuge staff and volunteers visit the island to keep track of birds and band juvenile pelicans. An estimated 8-10,000 pelicans used to return to Anaho Island each spring from their winter homes in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. In 1967, cui-ui, a staple food of the pelican, was declared to be endangered after water diversions affected the fish...From the Wikipedia article “Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anaho Island 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 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 121° ESE | 4:37 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 21m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Anaho Island 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 | 5:05 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:47 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:00 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 ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 70 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 101 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 89 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 5 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
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.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Hot Spring
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National Wildlife RefugeHot SpringFAQ
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How far is Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge from Spanish Springs?
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.