Garden Key Light is a lighthouse in Monroe County, Florida. It lies in or next to Dry Tortugas National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 111 km (69 mi) W of Key West. Its recorded tower height is about 25 m (82 ft).
The Garden Key Light, also known as the Tortuga Harbor Light, is located at Fort Jefferson, on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. The first lighthouse, started in 1824 and first lit in 1826, was a brick conical tower. The lighthouse and its outbuildings were the only structures on Garden Key until construction started on Fort Jefferson in 1846. Construction continued until 1861, but the fort was never completed. In 1858 the Dry Tortugas lighthouse was built on a nearby island, and the first-order Fresnel lens was moved there from the Garden Key lighthouse. The Garden Key lighthouse received a fourth-order Fresnel lens and became the harbor light for Fort Jefferson. In 1877 the brick tower was razed and replaced with a boilerplate iron tower on top of a stairwell in the fort. In 1912, the keeper's house burned down, and the lighthouse was automated with tanks of compressed...From the Wikipedia article “Garden Key Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Garden Key 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 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:44 AM | 64° ENE | 8:24 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 66° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 116° ESE | 5:49 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 36m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 46m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 39m |
| July | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 31m |
| August | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 37m |
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 Garden Key Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:36 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.7 | 32° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 4.0 | 36° | SE → S |
| May | 11:43 PM – 5:23 AM | 5.7 | 36° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 5:11 AM | 7.3 | 36° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:50 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.8 | 36° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 1:37 AM | 4.2 | 36° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:43 PM | 2.8 | 33° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:41 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 80 | 79 | 80 | 83 | 84 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 86 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 53 | 55 | 61 | 63 | 73 | 77 | 80 | 81 | 76 | 69 | 65 | 59 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 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
- 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.
- Many lighthouses are on private or Coast Guard property — check public access and opening hours.
- Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, 160 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Garden Key Light, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Garden Key Light?
What time is golden hour at Garden Key Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Garden Key Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Garden Key Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Garden Key Light?
How far is Garden Key Light from Key West?
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.