Located in Washington County, Rhode Island, Block Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 5.9 km (3.7 mi) NNW of New Shoreham.
Located approximately 12 miles (19 km) offshore on picturesque Block Island, the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge provides crucial habitat for wildlife, and a place for people to appreciate the natural environment of the island. The refuge was established in 1973 with the transfer of 28 acres (110,000 m2) from the U.S. Coast Guard, and has grown to its current size of 127 acres (0.51 km2) today. Block Island National Wildlife Refuge is administered as part of the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which manages all five of the National Wildlife Refuges in Rhode Island, and is headquartered in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Situated along the Atlantic Flyway, Block Island is one of the most important migratory bird habitats on the east coast. Many songbirds "overfly" the mainland and stopover on Block Island before continuing their migration. Hundreds of "birders" visit...From the Wikipedia article “Block Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Block Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 57° ENE | 8:23 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 121° ESE | 4:21 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 13m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:25 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 3:32 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 1:40 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 11:31 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 7:38 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.75 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 August as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 58 | 54 | 67 | 82 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 65 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 9 | 24 | 36 | 44 | 54 | 55 | 47 | 31 | 17 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
BeachBeach
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
BeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Block Island National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Block Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Block Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Block Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Block Island National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Block Island National Wildlife Refuge from New Shoreham?
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.