Honeymoon Island State Park — a state park in Pinellas County, Florida — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) WSW of Palm Harbor.
Honeymoon Island State Park is a 2,824.52-acre (1,143.04 ha) Florida state park protecting most of Honeymoon Island, a barrier island on Florida's Gulf coast in Pinellas County, west of Dunedin. The park protects approximately 4.25 miles (6.84 km) of shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico together with extensive seagrass beds, mangrove swamps, slash pine flatwoods, and coastal dunes and grasslands. The state began buying the land in 1974, and the park opened in December 1981. The island is south of the Anclote Keys and north of Caladesi Island, being separated by a hurricane in 1921. The two islands originally formed a single island named Hog Island, with the inlet between them being known as Hurricane Pass. The park's landform includes a wind and wave shaped finger at its northern end that has grown outward by more than 160 ft (50 m) per year since the late 1970s.From the Wikipedia article “Honeymoon Island State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Honeymoon Island 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 85° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:32 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 116° ESE | 5:41 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 22m |
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 | 7:59 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 33m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 32m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 55m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 45m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 46m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 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 Honeymoon Island State Park, 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 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 | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:48 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:52 PM – 5:12 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:03 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 1:35 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:31 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: 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 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
- 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 Honeymoon Island State Park, closest first.
Beach
State ParkBeach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Lake
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Honeymoon Island State Park?
What time is golden hour at Honeymoon Island State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Honeymoon Island State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Honeymoon Island State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Honeymoon Island State Park?
How far is Honeymoon Island State Park from Palm Harbor?
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.