Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Carteret County, North Carolina — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 38 km (24 mi) NE of Harkers Island.
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, located in Carteret County, North Carolina, is on the end of a peninsula marking the southern end of Pamlico Sound. The refuge lies five miles (8 km) east of the Atlantic Ocean and about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Beaufort, North Carolina. Established in 1964, the refuge consists of approximately 11,000 acres (45 km2) of irregularly flooded, brackish marsh and 3,480 acres (14.1 km2) of pocosin and woodland habitat. The dominant marsh plants include black needlerush, saltmarsh cordgrass, saltmeadow hay, and saltgrass. The woodland areas are dominated by loblolly, longleaf and pond pine. Live oak is also abundant on some upland sites. The marsh and surrounding waters provide wintering habitat for thousands of ducks and nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. Mammalian species that inhabit this refuge are gray squirrel, marsh rabbit,...From the Wikipedia article “Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 60° ENE | 8:23 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 119° ESE | 4:58 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 4:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 4:21 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 3:58 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:38 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:36 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 73 | 71 | 74 | 77 | 82 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 86 | 83 | 79 | 74 |
| Low °F | 28 | 28 | 37 | 46 | 54 | 67 | 73 | 72 | 64 | 50 | 43 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 6.1 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
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 Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
BeachScenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
LighthouseBeachBeachBeachBeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Core Banks - Beach Camping6.2 km (3.9 mi)
- Long Point Cabin Camp6.3 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- South Core Banks -- Beach Camping24 km (15 mi)
- Great Island Cabin Camp24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge from Harkers Island?
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.