Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Lincoln County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Lincoln City, about 6.1 km (3.8 mi) away (Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge lies S of town).
Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on Oregon's coast. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) comprising the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge consists of several discontinuous tracts north and south of the Siletz River where it enters Siletz Bay south of Lincoln City. Previously closed to public use, excluding viewing from outside the refuge boundaries and during special events, the refuge now has a boat launch offering access to non-motorized boats. Alder Island Nature Trail caters to visitors on foot, opened in 2017, and is 0.85 miles (1.37 km) round trip.From the Wikipedia article “Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 55° NE | 9:07 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:19 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 2:48 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.09 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 65% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 61 | 68 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 68 | 71 | 67 | 62 | 60 |
| Low °F | 32 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 49 | 50 | 52 | 50 | 39 | 35 | 30 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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 Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
Lake
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge from Lincoln 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.