Located in Clatsop County, Oregon, Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 15.5 km (9.6 mi) ENE of Astoria.
Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, near the mouth of the Columbia River, provides wintering and resting areas for an estimated 1,000 tundra swans, 5,000 geese, and 30,000 ducks. Other species include shorebirds and bald eagles. Estuary waters provide vital food resources for juvenile salmon as they pause to become acclimated to salt water before entering the Pacific Ocean. Bald eagles are present year-round; there are 30 to 35 active nest sites. Other fish species using the estuary include American shad, smelt, perch, starry flounder, bass, catfish, and Pacific lamprey. Harbor seals use sandbars and mud flats as resting sites at low tides, while seals and California sea lions feed on fish in the estuary. Beaver, raccoon, weasel, mink, muskrat, river otter, Columbian white-tailed deer and invasive nutria also live on the islands.From the Wikipedia article “Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (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) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 124° SE | 4:32 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:00 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 38m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 2:34 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:34 PM – 1:24 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 11:15 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.52 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 57 | 60 | 67 | 79 | 81 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 94 | 80 | 63 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 45 | 36 | 26 | 21 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.8 | 6.9 | 8.4 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 11.5 | 10.9 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
State ParkLighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeWaterfall
Waterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge?
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Can you see the Milky Way from Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge from Astoria?
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.