Located in Banks County, Georgia, Garrison Shoals is a beach at about 270 m (886 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Lula, about 5.2 km (3.2 mi) away (Garrison Shoals lies SE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Garrison Shoals the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:23 AM | 61° ENE | 8:51 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 118° ESE | 5:29 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Garrison Shoals, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:34 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 11:08 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 9:05 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.96 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 92 | 108 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
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 beach
- 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.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Garrison Shoals, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Covered BridgeCovered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Russell Recreation Area19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Fern Springs Day Use Picnic Area28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Duckett Mill29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Little Hall Shelter (Ga)30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Bolding Mill30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Garrison Shoals?
What time is golden hour at Garrison Shoals?
Where does the sun rise and set at Garrison Shoals?
Can you see the Milky Way from Garrison Shoals?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Garrison Shoals?
How far is Garrison Shoals from Lula?
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.