Located in Alachua County, Florida, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Gainesville, about 9.2 km (5.7 mi) away (Kanapaha Botanical Gardens lies WSW of town).
The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens (62 acres, 25 hectares) is a botanical garden in Gainesville, Florida, operated by the North Florida Botanical Society. The name for the garden comes from the nearby 250-acre Lake Kanapaha. "Kanapaha" originating from two Timucua words for "palmetto leaves" and "house". The gardens were established in 1978 when the society leased 33 acres (13.4 hectares) for a public botanical garden. Another 29 acres (11.7 hectares) were added in 1982. The gardens opened to the public in 1986. As of 2005, the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens contain Florida's largest public bamboo gardens and the largest herb garden in the Southeast.From the Wikipedia article “Kanapaha Botanical Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kanapaha Botanical Gardens 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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:31 AM | 62° ENE | 8:34 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 117° ESE | 5:36 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
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 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 Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 5:06 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 4:48 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 11:17 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:20 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.95 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and July 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 | 83 | 88 | 95 | 97 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 99 | 96 | 94 | 88 | 84 |
| Low °F | 20 | 22 | 29 | 37 | 50 | 64 | 66 | 65 | 55 | 34 | 27 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 5.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kanapaha Botanical Gardens?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens?
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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.