Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Tyrrell County, North Carolina. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) ESE of Plymouth.
The Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, North Carolina. Its headquarters is located in Columbia. Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1990. Originally, the 12,000-acre (49 km²) southwestern portion of the refuge—now known as the Pungo Unit—was established in 1963 as the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge, but it was merged with Pocosin Lakes in 1990. The refuge now covers 110,106 acres (446 km²), of which approximately 90,000 acres (364 km²) were donated. The refuge is named for the pocosin peat wetlands that make up the majority of the protected habitat. This refuge is home to indigenous animals such as the black bear, alligator, two species of fox, bobcat, raccoon, coyote, opossum, beaver, river otter, mink, and red wolf. It was the site...From the Wikipedia article “Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pocosin Lakes 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 60° ENE | 8:26 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 119° ESE | 4:57 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 4:15 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:53 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:31 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 93 | 96 | 97 | 96 | 91 | 89 | 79 | 74 |
| Low °F | 14 | 16 | 25 | 36 | 46 | 59 | 66 | 63 | 56 | 41 | 30 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lake
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
BeachBeach
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge from Plymouth?
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.