Located in Franklin County, Florida, Crooked River Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 4.6 km (2.9 mi) SW of Carrabelle. Its recorded tower height is about 30 m (100 ft). It dates from 1895. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Crooked River Light, also known as the Carrabelle Light, was built in 1895 to replace the Dog Island Light on Dog Island, which had been destroyed in 1875 by a hurricane. The location on the mainland allowed the light to serve as the rear range light for the channel to the west of Dog Island, used by ships in the lumber trade.From the Wikipedia article “Crooked River Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crooked River Light 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) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:39 AM | 62° ENE | 8:43 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 117° ESE | 5:44 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 03m |
| July | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:09 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Crooked River Light, 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 6:27 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:58 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 9:29 PM | 1.0 | 20° | 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 ≈ 21.39 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 72 | 71 | 75 | 78 | 84 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 89 | 86 | 79 | 73 |
| Low °F | 34 | 40 | 42 | 53 | 60 | 71 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 55 | 46 | 40 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 5.9 | 3.4 | 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 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Carrabelle, Carrabelle River, 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Crooked River Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Sand DunesScenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
Beach
Fire LookoutFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crooked River Light?
What time is golden hour at Crooked River Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crooked River Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crooked River Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crooked River Light?
How far is Crooked River Light from Carrabelle?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap contributors, 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.