Located in Citrus County, Florida, Crystal River Archaeological State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) NW of Crystal River. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Crystal River Archaeological State Park is a 61-acre (25 ha) Florida state park in Citrus County that preserves the Crystal River Site, a pre-Columbian mound complex, together with the related Roberts Island complex downstream. The site is recorded in the Florida Master Site File, the state's inventory of historical resources, under the Smithsonian trinomial 8CI1. The park occupies a low bluff on the north bank of the Crystal River, about 1.9 miles (3 km) above the river's mouth on the Gulf of Mexico. Its mainland parcel is nearly surrounded by the separate Crystal River Preserve State Park, and the two parks are administered together.From the Wikipedia article “Crystal River Archaeological State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crystal River Archaeological 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 85° in summer but only 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:33 AM | 63° ENE | 8:33 PM | 298° WNW | 85° | 13h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:38 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 | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 30m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 11m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 35m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 59m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 49m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 11m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 43m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 19m |
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 Crystal River Archaeological 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 5 (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 | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.8 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:54 PM – 5:04 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 4:56 AM | 6.8 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:04 PM – 3:24 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 1:26 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:20 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.4 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
- 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 Crystal River Archaeological State Park, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crystal River Archaeological State Park?
What time is golden hour at Crystal River Archaeological State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crystal River Archaeological State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crystal River Archaeological State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crystal River Archaeological State Park?
How far is Crystal River Archaeological State Park from Crystal River?
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.