Located in Pershing County, Nevada, Winnemucca National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Fernley, about 59 km (37 mi) away (Winnemucca National Wildlife Refuge lies N of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Winnemucca 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 26° 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) | 5:29 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 121° ESE | 4:36 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Winnemucca 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 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 | 5:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:23 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 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 65 | 67 | 77 | 85 | 95 | 101 | 108 | 102 | 101 | 89 | 72 | 57 |
| Low °F | 2 | 10 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 31 | 46 | 47 | 32 | 20 | 13 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Winnemucca National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
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How far is Winnemucca National Wildlife Refuge from Fernley?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.