Tybee National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It lies in or next to Fort Pulaski National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 6.9 km (4.3 mi) NE of Wilmington Island.
Tybee National Wildlife Refuge was established on May 9, 1938, by an executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as a breeding area for migratory birds and other wildlife. Located in the mouth of the Savannah River, the 100-acre (0.40 km2) refuge began as a 1-acre (4,000 m2) oyster shoal, Oysterbed Island, used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a spoil disposal site to support their mandated harbor dredging activity. As a result, the majority of the refuge is now covered with sand deposits. The more stable portions of the island are densely covered with such woody species as eastern red cedar, wax myrtle, and groundsel. Saltwater marsh borders parts of the island.From the Wikipedia article “Tybee National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tybee National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:19 AM | 62° ENE | 8:34 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 118° ESE | 5:24 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 04m |
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 Tybee National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 6:04 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 4:48 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:32 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:09 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:04 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.4 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 75 | 78 | 81 | 90 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 91 | 83 | 76 |
| Low °F | 20 | 25 | 29 | 40 | 52 | 63 | 69 | 68 | 55 | 39 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.4 |
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.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- 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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Tybee National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
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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.