{"id":5268,"date":"2012-06-30T07:11:20","date_gmt":"2012-06-30T13:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=5268"},"modified":"2026-04-15T07:43:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T12:43:33","slug":"clearing-storm-at-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/06\/30\/clearing-storm-at-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Clearing Storm at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"

As many of my regular viewers know I love Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a> in Montana. Just by being there I can feel my blood pressure drop, a sense of peace flows through my body, and my mind (and camera) focuses on the wonders and intricacies of nature.<\/p>\n

\"MorningMorning delight at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1\/80, ISO 320, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 18mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This photo was taken at 5 am as a storm was clearing out of the Centennial Valley and a few clouds still hung over the Centennial Mountains. Mornings are cool in the valley but the days warmed up while I was there earlier this month.<\/p>\n

The beauty of Red Rock Lakes NWR never fails to inspire or delight me.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

More posts on Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and a page about it being one of my Favorite Locations<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As many of my regular viewers know I love Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. Just by being there I can feel my blood pressure drop, a sense of peace flows through my body and my mind (and camera) focuses on the wonders and intricacies of nature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":174872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,223,12,608],"tags":[224,4382,4101,4109,7176,4035,12269,4092,4018,4197,5434,4196],"class_list":["post-5268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-centennial-mountains","tag-clearing-storm","tag-clouds","tag-grasses","tag-meadow","tag-nature-photography","tag-ountains","tag-refuge","tag-sky","tag-stormy-sky","tag-valley","tag-western-skies"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-clearing-storm-mia-mcpherson-2-7475.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1mY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15225,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/06\/17\/longing-for-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":5268,"position":0},"title":"Longing for Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It is raining here in the valley this morning and snow is falling in the high country in the middle of June so I am sitting here dreaming of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"View of the Centennial Mountains from Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-7409.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15344,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/07\/08\/wigeon-pond-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge-montana\/","url_meta":{"origin":5268,"position":1},"title":"Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The amazing birds and animals keep me going back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge but the scenery and wildness of the area does too.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/red-rock-lakes-wigeon-pond-mia-mcpherson-0532.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5192,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/06\/16\/the-morning-mist-at-red-rock-lakes-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":5268,"position":2},"title":"The Morning Mist at Red Rock Lakes NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 16, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't have much time to post today but I wanted to share a few photos taken this week of the mists at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. Red Rock Lakes NWR is an incredibly wild and beautiful location that has stolen a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunrise and rising lake mist at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34052,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/12\/08\/sunset-paints-the-sky-at-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":5268,"position":3},"title":"Sunset Paints the Sky at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The are times when I feel that the sunset paints the sky with vibrant colors and although the earth seems muted at twilight its still anchors me.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Painted sky at Red Rock Lakes NWR. 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Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-september-mia-mcpherson-8088.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-september-mia-mcpherson-8088.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-september-mia-mcpherson-8088.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-september-mia-mcpherson-8088.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2551,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/06\/19\/red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge-rockin-weather\/","url_meta":{"origin":5268,"position":5},"title":"Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge – Rockin’ Weather","author":"Mia 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