Located in Manatee County, Florida, Gamble Plantation Historic State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Ellenton, about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) away (Gamble Plantation Historic State Park lies NNW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park, also known as the Gamble Mansion or Gamble Plantation, is a Florida State Park, located in Ellenton, Florida, on 37th Avenue East and US 301. It is home to the Florida Division United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). The park consists of the antebellum mansion developed by its first owner, Major Robert Gamble; a 40,000-gallon cistern to provide the household with fresh water; and 16 acres (65,000 m2) of the former sugarcane plantation. At the height of operation, the forced-labor farm included 3,500 acres, and Gamble likely enslaved more than 200 people to work the property and process the sugarcane. The mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Robert Gamble House on August 12, 1970. Its columns and two-foot-thick walls are constructed of tabby, a regional material...From the Wikipedia article “Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gamble Plantation Historic State Park 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 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:29 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 116° ESE | 5:41 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 24m |
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 | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 35m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 14m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 30m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 52m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 43m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 08m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 48m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 25m |
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 Gamble Plantation Historic State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:47 AM – 6:17 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.8 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 5:10 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.5 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 1:33 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 11:25 PM | 2.5 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:30 PM | 1.2 | 22° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 81 | 84 | 89 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 89 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 30 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 65 | 47 | 42 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
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 Gamble Plantation Historic State Park, closest first.
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
Beach
Botanical GardenBeach
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gamble Plantation Historic State Park?
What time is golden hour at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gamble Plantation Historic State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park?
How far is Gamble Plantation Historic State Park from Ellenton?
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.