Money Beach — a beach in Gulf County, Florida — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Port Saint Joe, about 14.4 km (8.9 mi) away (Money Beach lies S of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Money Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:42 AM | 62° ENE | 8:45 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 117° ESE | 5:47 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:12 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:51 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:33 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:11 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 15m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Money Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 6:29 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 5:00 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:31 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (66%). August 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 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 79 | 85 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 85 | 80 | 76 |
| Low °F | 35 | 43 | 43 | 52 | 62 | 72 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 57 | 46 | 42 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 5.6 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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 beach
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Indian Pass, St. Vincent Sound, 5.8 km (3.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Money Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Sand DunesFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Money Beach?
What time is golden hour at Money Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Money Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Money Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Money Beach?
How far is Money Beach from Port Saint Joe?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.