Magnolia is a ghost town in Wakulla County, Florida. It sits roughly 12.5 km (7.8 mi) SE of Woodville.
Magnolia, Florida was a thriving river port town in southern Wakulla County, Florida (until 1843, Leon County, Florida), established in the 1820s and is classified as an "extinct city" by the State Library and Archives of Florida. All that remains of the city is the cemetery; the last known burial was in 1883 James French a C.S.A. private that was born in Magnolia town in 1843. The cemetery is on land now owned by the St. Joe Paper Company. The town was located near the small city of St. Marks, Florida.From the Wikipedia article “Magnolia, Florida”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Magnolia 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) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 62° ENE | 8:42 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 117° ESE | 5:41 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:09 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:29 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:08 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 13m |
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 Magnolia, 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 31° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 6:25 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:58 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 1:26 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 11:25 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:27 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: 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 October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 86 | 89 | 96 | 103 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 104 | 100 | 89 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 21 | 22 | 35 | 44 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 49 | 32 | 21 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 4.5 |
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 ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Magnolia, closest first.
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Lighthouse
Lake
State Park
State Park
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Magnolia?
What time is golden hour at Magnolia?
Where does the sun rise and set at Magnolia?
Can you see the Milky Way from Magnolia?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Magnolia?
How far is Magnolia from Woodville?
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.