Located in Hillsborough County, Florida, Fort Foster is a state park. It sits roughly 7.1 km (4.4 mi) WSW of Crystal Springs. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Foster (now known as Fort Foster Historic Site) is a Second Seminole War era fort in central Florida, located 9 miles (14 km) south of current-day Zephyrhills in Pasco County. Fort Foster was originally built in December 1836 under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel William S. Foster on the site of Fort Alabama. On December 1, 1836, Foster arrived at the site with 430 men to rebuild the fort and bridge that had been destroyed months earlier. By December 19, he had erected two blockhouses, a large storehouse and a fort. Then on December 22, Foster departed with 180 men, and 25 wagons with provisions and forage to resupply Fort Armstrong. The remainder of his men were tasked with completing the bridge and powder magazine. On January 1, 1837, Foster boasted in a letter to General R. Jones that, "the works at 'Fort Foster' on the Hillsborough River. That Fort & Bridge form one of...From the Wikipedia article “Fort Foster (Florida)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Foster 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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 63° ENE | 8:29 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 116° ESE | 5:38 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 21m |
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 | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 33m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 33m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 55m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 46m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 46m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 22m |
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 Fort Foster, 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 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 | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 5:01 AM | 5.2 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 1:23 AM | 3.8 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:29 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: 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 ≈ 19.91 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
- 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 Fort Foster, closest first.
State Park
Lake
State Park
Lake
Botanical Garden
Lake
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Foster?
What time is golden hour at Fort Foster?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Foster?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Foster?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Foster?
How far is Fort Foster from Crystal Springs?
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.