Vortex Spring — a cave in Holmes County, Florida — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is DeFuniak Springs, about 16.9 km (10.5 mi) away (Vortex Spring lies ENE of town).
Vortex Spring is a commercially operated recreation, camping and dive park located near Ponce de Leon, Florida. It is the largest diving facility in the state of Florida.From the Wikipedia article “Vortex Spring”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Vortex Spring 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 62° ENE | 7:51 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:38 AM | 117° ESE | 4:47 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 09m |
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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 22m |
| February | 6:01 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 08m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 5:46 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 36m |
| December | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 10m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Vortex Spring, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:14 PM – 4:14 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:27 PM – 3:57 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:24 PM – 2:34 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:55 PM – 12:35 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:12 PM – 10:32 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:34 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (55%). 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 | 79 | 80 | 85 | 93 | 100 | 104 | 102 | 102 | 101 | 100 | 88 | 82 |
| Low °F | 18 | 23 | 24 | 37 | 46 | 62 | 63 | 62 | 50 | 34 | 23 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 5.1 |
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 cave
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Vortex Spring, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Vortex Spring?
What time is golden hour at Vortex Spring?
Where does the sun rise and set at Vortex Spring?
Can you see the Milky Way from Vortex Spring?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Vortex Spring?
How far is Vortex Spring from DeFuniak Springs?
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.