Located in Aransas County, Texas, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Seadrift, about 19.4 km (12.1 mi) away (Aransas National Wildlife Refuge lies SSW of town).
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is a 115,324-acre (466.7 km2) protected area situated on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in parts of Aransas, Refugio, and Calhoun Counties. It is situated on the southwest side of the San Antonio Bay, formed by the mouth of the Guadalupe River. It also includes nearly the entirety of Matagorda Island, a 38-mile barrier island. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order 7784 on 31 December 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the Aransas Migratory Waterfowl Refuge as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. Roosevelt issued a proclamation in 1940 changing the name to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.From the Wikipedia article “Aransas National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aransas National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 63° ENE | 8:28 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 116° ESE | 5:36 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 21m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 32m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 12m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 33m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 56m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 46m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 10m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 45m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 21m |
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 Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 33° 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 | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:37 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:54 AM – 6:14 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.2 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:50 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.8 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 11:22 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:27 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 73 | 76 | 81 | 89 | 89 | 94 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 89 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 30 | 28 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 73 | 76 | 75 | 67 | 46 | 40 | 37 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
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.
- 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 Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Ghost Town
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aransas National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Aransas National Wildlife Refuge from Seadrift?
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.