Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park is a state park in Alachua County, Florida. The nearest town is Hawthorne, about 9.9 km (6.2 mi) away (Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park lies W of town).
The Gainesville–Hawthorne State Trail is a paved rail trail in Florida. It is protected as a 16-mile (26 km) long Florida State Park and runs from the City of Gainesville's Boulware Springs Water Works to the town of Hawthorne. It passes through the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area along a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line. The property was purchased by the state of Florida from CSX Transportation with money from the "trails from rails" program in late 1989. The trail opened for use in January 1992.From the Wikipedia article “Gainesville–Hawthorne State Trail”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail 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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:30 AM | 62° ENE | 8:33 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:35 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:36 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 16m |
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 Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail 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 32° 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 | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 6:17 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 5:05 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:07 PM – 4:47 AM | 6.7 | 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 – 11:16 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:19 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: 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 ≈ 20.7 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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park, closest first.
Lake
State Park
State Park
Lake
Lake
Lake
Botanical Garden
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park?
What time is golden hour at Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park?
How far is Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park from Hawthorne?
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.