Dudley Farm Historic State Park is a state park in Alachua County, Florida. The nearest town is Newberry, about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) away (Dudley Farm Historic State Park lies E of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dudley Farm Historic State Park (Florida), also known as Dudley Farm, is a U.S. historic district and museum park located in Newberry, Florida. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 4, 2002, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in January, 2021. The address is 18730 West Newberry Road (Florida State Road 26). The farm is a particularly fine and well-preserved example of a mid-19th to mid-20th century farm.From the Wikipedia article “Dudley Farm Historic State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dudley Farm 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) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:31 AM | 62° ENE | 8:34 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 117° ESE | 5:36 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 13m |
| 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 | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 15m |
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 Dudley Farm 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 31° 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 | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 5:07 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 4:49 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 1:18 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 11:17 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:20 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and July 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 | 83 | 88 | 95 | 97 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 99 | 96 | 94 | 88 | 84 |
| Low °F | 20 | 22 | 29 | 37 | 50 | 64 | 66 | 65 | 55 | 34 | 27 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 5.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Dudley Farm Historic State Park, closest first.
Cave
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lake
State Park
Ghost Town
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dudley Farm Historic State Park?
What time is golden hour at Dudley Farm Historic State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dudley Farm Historic State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dudley Farm Historic State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dudley Farm Historic State Park?
How far is Dudley Farm Historic State Park from Newberry?
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.