Caladesi Island State Park is a state park in Pinellas County, Florida. It sits roughly 4.7 km (2.9 mi) W of Dunedin.
Caladesi Island State Park is a Florida State Park located on Caladesi Island in the Gulf of Mexico, across St. Joseph Sound to the west of Dunedin, Florida, and north of Clearwater Beach. It is accessible by passenger ferry or by private boat from a dock on Honeymoon Island, provided primarily for convenience of access from the north (Dunedin area). Alternatively, since the late 1980s, the state park can be reached on foot from Clearwater Beach to the south; it is only separated by a "welcome" sign. Thus, Caladesi Island is not its own island, but shares its island geography with Clearwater Beach. Amenities include a three-mile nature trail, a marina, picnic pavilions, bathhouses, a park concession stand, and a beach. In 2005, the Caladesi Island beach was listed as having the fourth-best beach in the country; in 2006 and 2007 the second-best; and in 2008 the best beach in the...From the Wikipedia article “Caladesi Island State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Caladesi Island State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:31 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 116° ESE | 5:41 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 22m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 33m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 32m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 55m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 45m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 46m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 23m |
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 Caladesi Island 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 33° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:48 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:52 PM – 5:12 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:03 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 1:35 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.2 | 21° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 82 | 85 | 92 | 95 | 97 | 97 | 96 | 94 | 92 | 90 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 26 | 30 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 71 | 70 | 61 | 43 | 37 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Caladesi Island State Park, closest first.
State Park
BeachBeach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Caladesi Island State Park?
What time is golden hour at Caladesi Island State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Caladesi Island State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Caladesi Island State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Caladesi Island State Park?
How far is Caladesi Island State Park from Dunedin?
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.