Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Delaware Bay, Delaware · 7 ft
Sixteen thousand acres on Delaware Bay, four-fifths of it tidal salt marsh going bronze while the upland woods turn behind it. This is a horizon-and-sky problem rather than a canopy one, and the low sun runs the length of the marsh at both ends of the day.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Typical peak
Oct 18 – Oct 26
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Works at both ends of the day
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Visitor center at 2591 Whitehall Neck Road near Smyrna. A 12-mile wildlife drive, three observation towers and the 2.7-mile Forest Discovery Tree Trail; open half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset with an entrance pass.
What turns here
- red maple
- sweetgum
- loblolly pine
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 22Typical color progression for Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. No change from Sep 14 to Oct 1. First color from Oct 1 to Oct 10. Approaching peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Peak from Oct 18 to Oct 26. Past peak from Oct 26 to Nov 5. Bare from Nov 5 to Nov 19.
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is typically at no change on this date.
Light at peak
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on October 22, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:51 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 104° | 7:18 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 7:55 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:46 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 5:37 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 256° | 6:14 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:41 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 10h 55m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.