Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park is a state park in Flagler County, Florida. It sits roughly 4.5 km (2.8 mi) SSW of Flagler Beach. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park is a Florida State Park in Flagler Beach, Florida. It is three miles west of Flagler Beach on CR 2001, south of SR 100, and contains the ruins of an antebellum plantation and its sugar mill, built of coquina, a fossiliferous sedimentary rock composed of shells. It was the largest plantation in East Florida, and was operated with the forced labor of enslaved Africans and African Americans.From the Wikipedia article “Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:26 AM | 62° ENE | 8:28 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 117° ESE | 5:31 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
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 | 7:56 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 16m |
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 Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, 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 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 6:13 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:55 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 5:01 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:03 PM – 4:43 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 3:20 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 1:22 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 11:12 PM | 2.3 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.49 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 81 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 91 | 87 | 82 |
| Low °F | 29 | 32 | 36 | 46 | 53 | 66 | 71 | 71 | 63 | 43 | 39 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, closest first.
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State Park
Botanical Garden
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park?
What time is golden hour at Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park?
How far is Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park from Flagler Beach?
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.