Located in Monroe County, Florida, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Key West, about 3.0 km (1.9 mi) away (Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park lies WSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, also known simply as Fort Taylor, is a Florida State Park and National Historic Landmark centered on a Civil War-era fort located near the southern tip of Key West, Florida.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Zachary Taylor”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:40 AM | 64° ENE | 8:20 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 66° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 116° ESE | 5:44 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 37m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 47m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 39m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 31m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 37m |
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 Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 37° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.7 | 33° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 4.0 | 37° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 5:18 AM | 5.7 | 37° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 5:06 AM | 7.3 | 37° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.8 | 37° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 1:43 AM | 4.3 | 37° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.8 | 34° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.17 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (62%). August 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 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 50 | 53 | 59 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 66 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 |
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.
- 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 Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Beach
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouse
Ghost Town
LighthouseFAQ
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park?
How far is Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park from Key West?
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.