Located in Essex County, Vermont, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 17.1 km (10.6 mi) NW of Stratford.
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established in 1997 to conserve, protect and enhance the abundance and diversity of native plant, fish and wildlife species and the ecosystems on which they depend throughout the 7,200,000-acre (29,000 km2) Connecticut River watershed. The watershed covers large areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. It contains a great diversity of habitats, notably: northern forest valuable as nesting habitat for migrant thrushes, warblers and other birds; rivers and streams used by shad, salmon, herring, the endangered shortnose sturgeon and other migratory fishes; and an internationally significant complex of high-quality tidal fresh, brackish and salt marshes. The refuge works in partnership with a wide variety of individuals and organizations to provide environmental education, to encourage and support appropriate...From the Wikipedia article “Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Silvio O. Conte National Fish and 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) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 55° NE | 8:37 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 123° ESE | 4:09 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 | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:09 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 3:06 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:05 PM – 2:25 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 1:10 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:09 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:10 PM | 0.5 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -27 | -32 | -21 | 7 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | -4 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
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 Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
State Park
Lake
Mountain Peak
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge from Stratford?
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.