Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Churchill County, Nevada. The nearest town is Fallon, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge lies ENE of town).
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States in Nevada. It is located in the Lahontan Valley, near the community of Fallon, sixty miles east of Reno. It was established in 1949 and encompasses 79,570 acres (322.0 km2). The Stillwater wetlands are well known to birders, as this area has been designated a site of international importance by the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network because of the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds, such as long-billed dowitcher, black-necked stilt, and American avocet passing through during migration. Also listed as a 'Globally Important Bird Area' by the American Bird Conservancy, more than 280 species have been sighted in the area. These rich and diverse wetlands attract more than a quarter million waterfowl, as well as over 20,000 other water birds, including American white pelicans, double-crested...From the Wikipedia article “Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:25 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 120° ESE | 4:34 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 74 | 73 | 81 | 91 | 103 | 105 | 110 | 105 | 103 | 92 | 78 | 67 |
| Low °F | 7 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 29 | 36 | 52 | 47 | 35 | 21 | 11 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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 Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain Peak
WaterfallGhost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge from Fallon?
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.