Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Morris County, New Jersey — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Berkeley Heights, about 3.4 km (2.1 mi) away (Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge lies NW of town).
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. Established in 1960, it is among what has grown to be 806 refuges in the United States National Wilderness Preservation System. The first part of what was known in New Jersey as "The Great Swamp" that had been assembled in 1959 and was donated for perpetual preservation by the park service of the federal government in 1960, was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1966. More land has been added several times. Its eastern half 3,660 acres (14.8 km2) was designated as a wilderness area by Congress in 1968, making it the first wilderness area within the Fish and Wildlife Service. By 2010, the refuge included more than twelve square miles (7,800 acres or 32 square kilometers).From the Wikipedia article “Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Great Swamp 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (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 | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:34 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 7:50 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.39 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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.
- 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 Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
State Park
Botanical Garden
Mountain Pass
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge from Berkeley Heights?
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.