Located in Lake County, Florida, Lake Griffin State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Fruitland Park, about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) away (Lake Griffin State Park lies ENE of town).
Lake Griffin State Park is a Florida State Park located two miles (3 km) north of Leesburg, in Fruitland Park and 30 miles (48 km) south of Ocala on U.S. Highway 441. It is home to one of the state's largest live oak trees. The park is unique in connecting to Lake Griffin, the Ocklawaha River and thence to the Harris Chain of Lakes, and is made up of 577.63 acres (2.33758 km2) of swampland and hardwood upland. Activities include boating and canoeing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing. Among the wildlife of the park are osprey, bald eagle, blue heron, anhinga, ibis, American alligator, and river otter. Amenities include a full-facility campground, a half-mile nature trail, a boat ramp that provides access to the Dead River, and a playground for small children as well as kayak and canoe rentals, a forty site campground, and a picnic area. The park is open from...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Griffin State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Griffin State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (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) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:31 AM | 63° ENE | 8:30 PM | 298° WNW | 85° | 13h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 117° ESE | 5:35 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 18m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 30m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 11m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 51m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 35m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 58m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 49m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 11m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 43m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 19m |
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 Lake Griffin 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 32° 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 | 4:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.8 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:52 PM – 5:02 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:03 PM – 4:53 AM | 6.8 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.5 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 1:24 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:28 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 ≈ 19.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 86 | 89 | 96 | 98 | 101 | 102 | 99 | 99 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 87 |
| Low °F | 23 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 53 | 66 | 67 | 69 | 60 | 37 | 36 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
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
- 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 Lake Griffin State Park, closest first.
Lake
Beach
Lake
LakeBeach
Lake
State Park
State Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Bass Campground (Fl)17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Doe Lake Group Site21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Big Scrub Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lake Dorr Campground30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Lake Dorr Cabin30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Griffin State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lake Griffin State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Griffin State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Griffin State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Griffin State Park?
How far is Lake Griffin State Park from Fruitland Park?
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.