Johns Landing Trailhead is a fire lookout in Putnam County, Florida. It is part of Welaka State Forest. It sits roughly 14.4 km (8.9 mi) W of Crescent City.
Wikidata describes it as: “trailhead in Putnam County, Florida, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Johns Landing Trailhead 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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 62° ENE | 8:30 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 117° ESE | 5:33 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
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
Lookouts are built for 360° views, so sunrise and sunset are both options — use the azimuths to decide which view you want.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:36 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 16m |
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 Johns Landing Trailhead, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:53 PM – 5:03 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:05 PM – 4:45 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:02 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 1:24 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:14 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:17 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.33 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 fire lookout
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer and early autumn; many towers are staffed only during fire season.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Warm layers. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Johns Landing Trailhead, closest first.
Wilderness Area
State Park
Ghost Town
Lake
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Salt Springs Recreation Area13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Lake Delancy West Campground13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Hopkins Prairie Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Johns Landing Trailhead?
What time is golden hour at Johns Landing Trailhead?
Where does the sun rise and set at Johns Landing Trailhead?
Can you see the Milky Way from Johns Landing Trailhead?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Johns Landing Trailhead?
How far is Johns Landing Trailhead from Crescent City?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.