Located in Genesee County, New York, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 3.9 km (2.4 mi) NE of Alabama.
The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge in Genesee and Orleans counties in western New York. The refuge is located between the cities of Buffalo and Rochester and is operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge headquarters and visitor center are located at 1101 Casey Road in Alabama, New York. The Orleans County portion of the refuge lies in the town of Shelby.From the Wikipedia article “Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 56° NE | 8:57 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 122° ESE | 4:42 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:38 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:12 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:51 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:52 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.11 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 66% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 54 | 50 | 59 | 62 | 74 | 80 | 86 | 86 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 56 |
| Low °F | 2 | -4 | -1 | 18 | 34 | 39 | 49 | 54 | 44 | 34 | 21 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
LighthouseWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge from Alabama?
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.