Audubon National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in McLean County, North Dakota — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Garrison, about 19.4 km (12.1 mi) away (Audubon National Wildlife Refuge lies ESE of town).
Audubon National Wildlife Refuge is a 14,739-acre (5,965 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is the centerpiece of the Audubon National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes numerous other refuges in the region. Originally designated as the Snake Creek National Wildlife Refuge in 1955, the refuge was renamed in 1967 in honor of the artist and naturalist John James Audubon. Most of the refuge area is a lake known as Audubon Lake which is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Audubon Lake has one hundred islands, which provide nesting habitat for birds. Another 3,020 acres (1,220 ha) consists of wetlands crucial to numerous bird and mammal species. Of particular interest are the Baird's sparrow and Le Conte's sparrow, which nest here in enormous numbers during the late spring and...From the Wikipedia article “Audubon National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Audubon 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) | 7:48 AM | 89° E | 7:57 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 53° NE | 9:47 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:32 AM | 89° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:31 AM | 125° SE | 4:56 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 25m |
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 | 7:54 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:19 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:35 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:25 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:53 PM | 9:39 PM | 10:18 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:46 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:29 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:51 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:20 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:30 PM | 8h 27m |
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 Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 | 6:14 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:19 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:18 AM – 3:38 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:49 AM – 2:39 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:20 AM – 1:40 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:03 PM – 11:33 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 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 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 49 | 59 | 76 | 88 | 91 | 106 | 107 | 103 | 99 | 89 | 69 | 52 |
| Low °F | -37 | -33 | -19 | -1 | 22 | 37 | 46 | 41 | 29 | 8 | -11 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 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
- 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.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Lake
State ParkNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- East Totten Trail Campground (Nd)7.3 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Wolf Creek Campground (Nd)11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Downstream Campground (Nd)23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Audubon National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Audubon National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Audubon National Wildlife Refuge from Garrison?
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.