Blue Spring State Park — a state park in Volusia County, Florida — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 4.0 km (2.5 mi) W of Orange City.
Blue Spring State Park is a Florida state park located west of Orange City, Florida, in the United States. The park is a popular tourist destination; available activities include canoeing, scuba diving, kayaking, fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife watching, and swimming. The spring in the park (Volusia Blue Spring) is the largest on the St. Johns River. Due to its relatively warm temperature of 73 °F (23 °C), the spring attracts many Florida manatees during the winter. About 102 million US gallons (390,000 m3) of water flow out of Blue Spring into the St. Johns River every day.From the Wikipedia article “Blue Spring State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blue Spring State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 63° ENE | 8:28 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 117° ESE | 5:33 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 18m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 30m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 11m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 35m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 59m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 49m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 11m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 43m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 18m |
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 Blue Spring State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 6:13 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.8 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:51 AM | 6.8 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.44 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 86 | 89 | 96 | 98 | 101 | 102 | 99 | 99 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 87 |
| Low °F | 23 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 53 | 66 | 67 | 69 | 60 | 37 | 36 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Blue Spring State Park, closest first.
State Park
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Wilderness Area
State Park
State Park
State ParkWilderness Area
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- River Forest Group Site8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Clearwater Lake Rec Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Lake Dorr Cabin27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Alexander Springs Recreation Area27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blue Spring State Park?
What time is golden hour at Blue Spring State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blue Spring State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blue Spring State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blue Spring State Park?
How far is Blue Spring State Park from Orange City?
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.