Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Skamania County, Washington. It sits roughly 16.2 km (10.1 mi) WSW of Cascade Locks.
Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in southwest Washington state, within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The refuge provides a variety of habitats including riparian wetlands, Columbia River riparian corridor blocks, transitional woodlands from lower elevation willows, and cottonwoods to mid-elevation old-growth fir and cedar with associated native understory shrubs, open meadows, and numerous streams and seeps.From the Wikipedia article “Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 54° NE | 9:02 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:28 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:32 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 43m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:13 AM – 4:23 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:36 PM – 2:36 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:19 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:23 PM | 0.3 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 62 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 93 | 100 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 87 | 67 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 15 | 22 | 27 | 33 | 39 | 45 | 44 | 36 | 24 | 15 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 8.6 | 9.7 |
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
- 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 Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Creek Campground12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Wahtum Lake Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Lost Lake Resort And Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Wyeth Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge from Cascade Locks?
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.