Located in Stutsman County, North Dakota, Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Jamestown, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge lies NNW of town).
Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Arrowwood NWR is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge parallels 16 miles (27 km) of the James River and is a mixture of wetlands, forest and prairie. Efforts to ensure the refuge continues to provide prime nesting habitat for waterfowl include prescribed fire, haying, crop cultivation and livestock grazing. The refuge has forests with oak and hackberry which are uncommon on the prairie. It is believed that the name for the refuge is derived from Native American naming for arrow wood, as the wood in the forest was prized for the making of arrows.From the Wikipedia article “Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 53° NE | 9:35 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:19 AM | 125° SE | 4:49 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:47 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:13 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:20 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:08 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:22 PM | 8h 31m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:03 AM – 6:03 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:57 AM – 4:47 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:06 AM – 3:36 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:33 AM – 2:33 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:07 AM – 1:27 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:51 PM – 11:31 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 48 | 61 | 77 | 87 | 92 | 105 | 106 | 102 | 100 | 85 | 69 | 49 |
| Low °F | -41 | -31 | -20 | 4 | 21 | 38 | 44 | 39 | 28 | 12 | -8 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge from Jamestown?
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.