Located in Grant County, Wisconsin, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 10.8 km (6.7 mi) N of Guttenberg.
The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is a 240,000-acre (970 km2), 261-mile-long (420 km) National Wildlife Refuge located in and along the Upper Mississippi River. It runs from Wabasha, Minnesota, in the north to Rock Island, Illinois, in the south. In its northern portion, it is in the Driftless Area, a region of North America that remained free from ice during the last ice age. Certain parcels contained within the refuge were later transferred to the Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is an important element of the Mississippi Flyway. It has many wooded islands, sloughs, and hardwood forests. The wildlife found here include the canvasback duck, tundra swan, white-tailed deer, and muskrat. Recreational activities include boating, hunting, fishing, and swimming. Refuge Headquarters are located in Winona, Minnesota, with district offices...From the Wikipedia article “Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 56° ENE | 8:47 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 122° ESE | 4:34 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:42 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:43 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.73 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 September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 100 | 106 | 100 | 94 | 85 | 73 | 68 |
| Low °F | -33 | -16 | -18 | 10 | 26 | 40 | 47 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 2 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, closest first.
Lake
State Park
State Park
State Park
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Cave
Ghost Town
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge?
How far is Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge from Guttenberg?
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.