Located in Oconee County, Georgia, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Watkinsville, about 5.1 km (3.2 mi) away (The State Botanical Garden of Georgia lies NNE of town).
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a botanical garden of 323 acres (131 hectares) in the United States, with a conservatory operated by the University of Georgia. It is located at 2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, Georgia along the east bank of the Middle Oconee River.From the Wikipedia article “State Botanical Garden of Georgia”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The State Botanical Garden of Georgia 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 61° ENE | 8:48 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 118° ESE | 5:29 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 55m |
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 The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, 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 6 (bright 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:32 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 1:04 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 11:07 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.39 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 76 | 79 | 84 | 93 | 98 | 111 | 109 | 107 | 103 | 102 | 85 | 79 |
| Low °F | 8 | 16 | 18 | 26 | 40 | 54 | 60 | 57 | 44 | 30 | 20 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.9 |
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 The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph The State Botanical Garden of Georgia?
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Where does the sun rise and set at The State Botanical Garden of Georgia?
Can you see the Milky Way from The State Botanical Garden of Georgia?
Do you need a permit to photograph at The State Botanical Garden of Georgia?
How far is The State Botanical Garden of Georgia from Watkinsville?
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.