American Beach Nana Sand Dune is a sand dunes in Nassau County, Florida. It lies in or next to Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 11.1 km (6.9 mi) S of Fernandina Beach.
From the National Park Service
Today the quiet little community of American Beach on Florida’s Amelia Island is in transition. Modest vacation homes dating from the 1930s share space with vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and newer, more elegant structures. High-rise condos and beachfront mansions have risen to the north and south in adjacent resorts. Though small in area, American Beach has played a significant role in recent African American history. After the Civil War, and extending well into the 20th century, laws barring African Americans from public facilities were common throughout the American south. Not until passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did these so-called Jim Crow laws begin to disappear. Until they did, blacks simply could not claim the same rights and privileges that white Americans enjoyed. All along Florida’s spectacular shoreline, for example, African Americans were denied entry to most public beaches. American Beach was created to address that situation. Commercial establishments – motels, guest houses, restaurants, nightclubs – sprang up along with new summer homes, and American Beach became a magnet for vacationing African Americans from across the country. Visitors could find rooms at the A. L. Lewis Motel, Williams’s Guest Lodge, and Cowart’s Motel and Restaurant. Homeowners took in additional vacationers or rented out their homes for part of the summer. For day visitors, excursion buses ran between nearby minority communities and the beach. Out on the beach, there were surf fishing and shell gathering, beauty contests and automobile races, and the warmth of friendly faces. A number of small shops sold snacks and ice cream. The Rendezvous and Ocean-Vu-Inn offered dining and dancing. After dark, there was live entertainment. American Beach is located on the south end of Amelia Island, along A1A between Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach. The National Park Services owns the 8.5 acre sand dune. The "Evans Rendevous" building (not available for touring) was acquired by the Trust for Public Land. A project through the African American Civil Rights Grant Program , which works to document, interpret, and preserve the sites and stories related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights, is funding ongoing rehabilitation work at Evans’ Rendezvous. The majority of other land at American Beach is held by private landholders - please respect their privacy.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At American Beach Nana Sand Dune 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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:25 AM | 62° ENE | 8:32 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:30 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 10m |
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
Dunes need low sun: ripples and ridgelines only appear when side-light casts shadows, so shoot within an hour of sunrise or sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 11m |
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 American Beach Nana Sand Dune, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 4:55 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 4:38 AM | 6.5 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 3:15 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 1:16 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:14 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 9:16 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: 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 ≈ 20.65 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 74 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 90 | 92 | 94 | 92 | 90 | 87 | 81 | 77 |
| Low °F | 32 | 35 | 43 | 50 | 59 | 68 | 75 | 73 | 67 | 51 | 45 | 35 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 6.7 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 2.9 |
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 sand dunes
- Wind erases tracks overnight — mornings have the cleanest sand.
- Protect gear from blowing sand; avoid changing lenses in the wind.
- Sand surfaces get extremely hot in summer afternoons.
- Walk along ridges rather than across faces to avoid leaving footprints in your future compositions.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn for comfortable temperatures; full moon nights give soft light on the sand.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lens blower, Sun protection, Water. 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of American Beach Nana Sand Dune, closest first.
State Park
Beach
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
State ParkState Park
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph American Beach Nana Sand Dune?
What time is golden hour at American Beach Nana Sand Dune?
Where does the sun rise and set at American Beach Nana Sand Dune?
Can you see the Milky Way from American Beach Nana Sand Dune?
Do you need a permit to photograph at American Beach Nana Sand Dune?
How far is American Beach Nana Sand Dune from Fernandina Beach?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.