Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill — a botanical garden in Volusia County, Florida — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.1 km (0.7 mi) WNW of Port Orange. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill, a 19th-century cane sugar plantation in north-central Florida, was destroyed by the Seminoles at the beginning of the Second Seminole War. The ruins are located at 950 Old Sugar Mill Road, Port Orange, Florida. On August 28, 1973, the site was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places under the title of Dunlawton Plantation-Sugar Mill Ruins. The ruins are now part of the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens. The botanical gardens include interpretive signs about the enclosed ruins, large concrete sculptures of dinosaurs and a giant ground sloth, a gazebo, and plantings of grasses, flowers, bushes and native plants under a canopy of oak trees.From the Wikipedia article “Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (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) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:26 AM | 63° ENE | 8:27 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 117° ESE | 5:31 PM | 244° WSW | 37° | 10h 17m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 29m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:06 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 36m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 00m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 50m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 12m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 42m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 18m |
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 Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill, 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 32° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:41 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 9:14 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.42 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 81 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 91 | 87 | 82 |
| Low °F | 29 | 32 | 36 | 46 | 53 | 66 | 71 | 71 | 63 | 43 | 39 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
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 botanical garden
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
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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.