Located in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma, Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 11.8 km (7.3 mi) E of Cherokee.
The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States system of national wildlife refuges. It is located in Alfalfa County in northern Oklahoma, north of Jet (pop. 230), along Great Salt Plains Lake, which is formed by a dam on the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River. The refuge was established March 26, 1930, by executive order of President Herbert Hoover, and contains 32,080 acres (130 km2) of protected land as habitat to about 312 species of birds and 30 species of mammals. It was designated a national natural landmark in June 1983.From the Wikipedia article “Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Salt Plains 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:15 AM | 60° ENE | 8:56 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 119° ESE | 5:21 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 40m |
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 Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:36 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:16 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 8:54 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 78 | 85 | 89 | 100 | 105 | 114 | 116 | 114 | 107 | 96 | 89 | 72 |
| Low °F | -5 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 34 | 50 | 59 | 56 | 44 | 22 | 17 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge from Cherokee?
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.