Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Buffalo County, Wisconsin — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.8 km (3.6 mi) E of Winona.
Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge is a 6,808-acre (27.55 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located along the Upper Mississippi River in extreme southern Buffalo County and extreme southwestern Trempealeau County in Wisconsin, United States. There are two small private areas in the protected area. It is in part a wetland consisting of backwaters away from the Mississippi and Trempealeau River, and is a significant element of the Mississippi Flyway. It is part of the Driftless Area, a portion of North America which remained free of ice during the last ice age, creating in part the deep gorge of the Mississippi, quite visible from this refuge. It is also a sand prairie, including grasses such as big bluestem, indiangrass, and switchgrass capable of growing to eight to nine feet (2.4 to 2.7 m) in height. There is also bottomland forest in the reserve with river birch, swamp white oak and...From the Wikipedia article “Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trempealeau 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 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 56° NE | 8:54 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 54m |
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 Trempealeau 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:16 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.31 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 47% 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 | 48 | 57 | 76 | 82 | 89 | 92 | 102 | 99 | 94 | 82 | 71 | 61 |
| Low °F | -39 | -27 | -22 | 5 | 26 | 38 | 46 | 40 | 30 | 17 | -2 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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
- 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 Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
State ParkGhost Town
State Park
State ParkGhost TownGhost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge from Winona?
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.