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Located in Monroe County, Florida, Carysfort Reef Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 12.3 km (7.6 mi) ESE of North Key Largo. It dates from 1825. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Carysfort Reef Light is located on Carysfort Reef east of Key Largo, Florida. The lighthouse has an iron-pile foundation with a platform, and a skeletal, octagonal, pyramidal tower, which is painted red. The light was 100 feet (30 m) above the water. It was the oldest functioning lighthouse of its type in the United States until it was decommissioned in 2015, having been completed in 1852. The light last installed was a xenon flashtube beacon. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.From the Wikipedia article “Carysfort Reef Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carysfort Reef Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (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 88° in summer but only 41° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 64° ENE | 8:15 PM | 297° WNW | 88° | 13h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 65° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 116° ESE | 5:37 PM | 244° WSW | 41° | 10h 34m |
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
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 44m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 19m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 45m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 22m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 42m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 34m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:26 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 02m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 19m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 35m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 55m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 35m |
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 Carysfort Reef Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 36° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.2 | 22° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:37 AM – 6:07 AM | 2.5 | 32° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 4.0 | 36° | SE → S |
| May | 11:34 PM – 5:04 AM | 5.5 | 36° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 4:53 AM | 7.2 | 36° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.8 | 36° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:19 PM – 1:29 AM | 4.2 | 36° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 11:23 PM | 2.7 | 33° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.3 | 23° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.02 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 81 | 83 | 86 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 86 | 82 |
| Low °F | 37 | 43 | 48 | 58 | 67 | 76 | 78 | 79 | 73 | 57 | 53 | 41 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 4.7 | 8.1 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
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 lighthouse
- Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Carysfort Reef, 34 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Carysfort Reef Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Lighthouse
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carysfort Reef Light?
What time is golden hour at Carysfort Reef Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carysfort Reef Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carysfort Reef Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carysfort Reef Light?
How far is Carysfort Reef Light from North Key Largo?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.