Located in Dunn County, North Dakota, Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) SE of Killdeer.
Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and is managed from Audubon National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge consists of Lake Ilo, surrounding wetlands and some upland range, providing habitat for hundreds of species of birds, and numerous fish and mammal species. An average of over 16 inches (40 cm) of precipitation falls annually, supporting a prairie ecosystem. Archeological work at Lake Ilo NWR in the 1990s resulted in creating one of the largest assemblages of Paleo Indian artifacts found on land managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These artifacts help to educate modern peoples about those who lived in the region more than 10,000 years ago, and enhances the refuge with a human culture story that was not anticipated when the region was set aside for wildlife protection.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Ilo 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) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:55 AM | 53° NE | 8:52 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 125° SE | 4:03 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 28m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:39 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:14 AM | 4:54 AM | 5:42 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 55m |
| July | 4:32 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:09 PM | 4:02 PM | 4:37 PM | 8h 29m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Lake Ilo 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 | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:22 AM – 2:52 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:49 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:23 PM – 12:43 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 10:47 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 ≈ 21.92 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 43% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 54 | 64 | 77 | 89 | 93 | 104 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 71 | 54 |
| Low °F | -31 | -23 | -18 | 0 | 22 | 37 | 46 | 43 | 29 | 7 | -11 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge from Killdeer?
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.