Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Barnes County, North Dakota — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Valley City, about 9.7 km (6.0 mi) away (Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies W of town).
Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,077-acre (8.41 km2) Easement Refuge located in Barnes County, North Dakota five miles (8 km) west of Valley City. The refuge was established by Executive Orders during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration and was set aside as "a refuge and breeding grounds for migratory birds and other wildlife". The refuge is maintained by the Valley City Wetland Management District and is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge is a migration stopover for waterfowl. In addition, tundra swans frequently use the refuge during spring and fall migrations. Much of the refuge lands are cultivated by the owner; however, some waterfowl nesting and brood rearing takes place on portions of the refuge. There are some limited opportunities for wildlife observation and photography from public roads around the refuge.From the Wikipedia article “Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hobart Lake 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 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 89° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 53° NE | 9:32 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:16 AM | 125° SE | 4:47 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:45 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:27 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:09 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:18 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:13 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:37 AM | 8:12 AM | 9:04 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:01 AM – 6:01 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:54 AM – 4:44 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:01 AM – 3:31 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:26 AM – 2:36 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:01 AM – 1:31 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:48 PM – 11:28 PM | 0.7 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 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 August as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and March 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 | 51 | 62 | 78 | 89 | 93 | 106 | 111 | 106 | 100 | 86 | 70 | 47 |
| Low °F | -40 | -28 | -18 | 3 | 23 | 38 | 45 | 41 | 31 | 9 | -6 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- 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 Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mel Rieman Rec13.6 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Eggerts Landing22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- West Ashtabula Crossing23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- East Ashtabula Crossing28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge from Valley City?
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.