![Ouray National Wildlife Refuge Rock Formations [1]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Ouray_National_Wildlife_Refuge_Rock_Formations.JPG)
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Uintah County, Utah — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) ESE of Ballard.
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge (also called Ouray National Waterfowl Refuge) is a wildlife refuge in central Uintah County, Utah, in the northeastern part of the state. It is part of the National Wildlife Refuge system, located two miles northeast of the village of Ouray, 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the town of Randlett, and 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Vernal. Established in 1960, it straddles the Green River for 12 miles (19 km), and covers 11,987 acres (48.51 km2). A portion of the refuge (3,800 acres [1,500 ha]) is leased from the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The refuge was created for the use of both local and migratory birds, and with funds provided by the sale of Federal Duck Stamps. The site of the refuge also holds the Ouray National Fish Hatchery, which was established in 1996 to help hatch razorback suckers, humpback chubs, Colorado pikeminnows and Bonytail...From the Wikipedia article “Ouray National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ouray National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 58° ENE | 8:52 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 121° ESE | 4:57 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 20m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 54 | 61 | 73 | 81 | 94 | 97 | 101 | 98 | 95 | 81 | 67 | 53 |
| Low °F | -15 | -11 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 31 | 44 | 39 | 28 | 2 | -1 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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 Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ouray National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ouray National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Ouray National Wildlife Refuge from Ballard?
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.