Located in Pasco County, Florida, Colt Creek State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Zephyrhills North, about 12.2 km (7.6 mi) away (Colt Creek State Park lies ENE of town).
Colt Creek State Park is a Florida State Park in Central Florida, 16 miles (26 km) north of Lakeland off of State Road 471. This 5,067-acre park nestled within the Green Swamp Wilderness Area and named after one of the tributaries that flows through the property was opened to the public on January 20, 2007. Composed mainly of pine flatwoods, cypress domes and open pasture land, this piece of pristine wilderness is home to many animal species including the American bald eagle, Southern fox squirrel, gopher tortoise, white-tailed deer, wild turkey and bobcat. The park offers over 15 miles of multi-use trails which make for horse-back riding, hiking and biking opportunities. These trails meander through the pine flatwoods and cypress domes, bottomland forest and past open pastures. The park offers fishing, canoeing and kayaking at one of its three lakes. Other recreational opportunities...From the Wikipedia article “Colt Creek State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colt Creek 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 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:33 AM | 63° ENE | 8:29 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 116° ESE | 5:37 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 20m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 32m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 12m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 33m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 56m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 46m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 10m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 45m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 21m |
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 Colt Creek 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 5:00 AM | 5.2 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:51 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 1:22 AM | 3.8 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:23 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:28 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: 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 ≈ 20.56 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 Colt Creek State Park, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colt Creek State Park?
What time is golden hour at Colt Creek State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colt Creek State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colt Creek State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colt Creek State Park?
How far is Colt Creek State Park from Zephyrhills North?
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.