Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park — a dark sky place in Okeechobee County, Florida — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Sebring, about 38 km (23 mi) away (Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park lies ENE of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida state park, located approximately 40 km (25 mi) north of Okeechobee, off US 441. The preserve protects the largest remaining tract of Florida dry prairie, an ecosystem shaped by cycles of flooding and fire. The preserve lies adjacent to the Kissimmee River, an important headwater of the Everglades, the watershed of which the park lies within. Many rare, threatened, and endangered species inhabit the area, and the wide-open prairie landscape provides opportunities for birdwatchers and photographers. Three species found within the park of particular interest to birders include the Florida grasshopper sparrow, Audubon's caracara, and Florida burrowing owl. Thanks to its location in one of the darkest portions of the state, the night sky above the park measures in at a Bortle 3, allowing for viewing of the Milky Way and several Messier...From the Wikipedia article “Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:30 AM | 63° ENE | 8:24 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 116° ESE | 5:35 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 24m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 35m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 14m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:06 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 31m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 53m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 43m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 08m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 47m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 24m |
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 Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 6:11 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 3.8 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 5:04 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:54 PM – 4:54 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.5 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 1:27 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 11:19 PM | 2.5 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 9:24 PM | 1.2 | 22° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.37 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (59%). August 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 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 94 | 90 | 88 |
| Low °F | 24 | 28 | 34 | 41 | 54 | 66 | 70 | 68 | 62 | 38 | 37 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
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 dark sky place
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park?
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Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via 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.