Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Spokane County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.2 km (4.5 mi) S of Cheney.
The Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge is located six miles (10 km) south of Cheney, Washington, on the eastern edge of the Columbia Basin in Spokane County in northeastern Washington. Turnbull NWR encompasses more than 23,000 acres (9,300 ha) of the Channeled Scablands. The ecosystem that predominates the refuge is unique within the National Wildlife Refuge System and has characteristics that distinguish it from natural reserves worldwide. The combination of basalt outcrops, channeled canyons, and ponderosa pine forests infused in a diverse landscape of over 130 marshes, wetlands, and lakes creates an environment of aesthetic beauty as well as high quality wildlife habitat. The refuge is named for Cyrus Turnbull who lived on the site in the 1880s.From the Wikipedia article “Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:54 AM | 53° NE | 8:52 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 125° SE | 4:03 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 7:34 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:38 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:13 AM | 4:54 AM | 5:42 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 4:31 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:08 PM | 4:01 PM | 4:37 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:23 AM – 2:43 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 1:44 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:25 PM – 12:45 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 10:38 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.89 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 July as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). July 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 | 53 | 56 | 69 | 82 | 90 | 102 | 100 | 101 | 96 | 84 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -19 | -12 | -7 | 23 | 26 | 35 | 42 | 43 | 29 | 11 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
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
- 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.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
Waterfall
Lake
State Park
Waterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge from Cheney?
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.