Meaher State Park — a state park in Baldwin County, Alabama — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.1 km (1.3 mi) WSW of Spanish Fort.
Meaher State Park is a public recreation area located on Big Island, an island at the north end of Mobile Bay that lies within the city limits of Spanish Fort, Alabama. The state park occupies 1,327 acres (537 ha) along the shoreline of Ducker Bay, at the junction of Mobile Bay and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. It is surrounded by wetlands of the Mobile Bay estuary. The park is accessed from Battleship Parkway, known locally as the "Causeway," and is managed by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.From the Wikipedia article “Meaher State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Meaher State Park 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) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 62° ENE | 7:58 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 117° ESE | 4:55 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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 10m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Meaher State Park, 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 30° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:22 PM – 4:22 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:35 PM – 4:05 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:43 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:40 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:42 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.4 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 75 | 77 | 83 | 88 | 96 | 101 | 99 | 100 | 97 | 96 | 86 | 77 |
| Low °F | 22 | 28 | 31 | 41 | 49 | 64 | 67 | 62 | 54 | 40 | 31 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 5.3 |
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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Meaher State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Ghost TownLighthouse
State Park
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Botanical Garden
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Meaher State Park?
What time is golden hour at Meaher State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Meaher State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Meaher State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Meaher State Park?
How far is Meaher State Park from Spanish Fort?
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.