Located in Marquette County, Wisconsin, Fox River National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Montello, about 13.5 km (8.4 mi) away (Fox River National Wildlife Refuge lies SSW of town).
Fox River National Wildlife Refuge, managed by staff at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, encompasses 1,054 acres (4.27 km2) of wetland and upland habitat along the Fox River in the Town of Buffalo, in Marquette County, Wisconsin, United States. Refuge staff restores, enhances, and preserves the oak savanna upland and sedge meadow wetland habitats historically found in extensive areas along the Fox River. Staff manage the wildlife populations that use these habitats, with special emphasis on those species dependent upon large expanses of natural marsh, such as the greater sandhill crane. Other management objectives include protecting the habitats of any federal or state endangered or threatened species within the refuge, such as the state threatened Blanding's turtle, and to make the refuge available for outdoor recreation, environmental education, and other public-use activities...From the Wikipedia article “Fox River National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fox River National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 56° NE | 8:44 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 123° ESE | 4:24 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Fox River National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:26 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:05 PM – 2:45 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.46 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 49 | 65 | 78 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 72 | 63 |
| Low °F | -43 | -25 | -19 | 10 | 26 | 39 | 46 | 42 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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 Fox River National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Ghost TownGhost TownGhost Town
Canyon
State ParkGhost Town
LakeGhost Town
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fox River National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Fox River National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fox River National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fox River National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fox River National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Fox River National Wildlife Refuge from Montello?
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.