Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Lincoln County, Nevada. The nearest town is Alamo, about 14.9 km (9.3 mi) away (Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge lies SSE of town).
The Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife refuge, at the southern end of the Pahranagat Valley and administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is 90 miles (140 km) north of Las Vegas, Nevada, in Lincoln County, Nevada. The 5,380-acre (21.8 km2) refuge was created on August 16, 1963, and is part of the larger Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which also includes the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, and the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge provides high-quality migration and wintering habitat for migrating birds, especially waterfowl, within the Pacific Flyway. It also contains the prehistoric Black Canyon Petroglyphs.From the Wikipedia article “Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 59° ENE | 8:05 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 119° ESE | 4:27 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:31 PM | 4:59 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:38 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:14 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 3:46 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:56 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:50 PM – 2:00 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:31 PM – 7:51 PM | 0.3 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 69 | 71 | 80 | 86 | 98 | 105 | 104 | 103 | 101 | 89 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | 3 | 11 | 20 | 22 | 28 | 33 | 55 | 50 | 32 | 18 | 14 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge from Alamo?
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.