Lake Manatee State Park — a state park in Manatee County, Florida — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is The Meadows, about 18.4 km (11.4 mi) away (Lake Manatee State Park lies NE of town).
Lake Manatee State Park (Lake Manatee State Recreation Area) is a 556-acre (2.3 km2) State Park in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the south shore of 2,400-acre (10 km2) Lake Manatee. It is 9 miles (14 km) east of I-75 on State Road 64 in Bradenton. It is made up of pine flatwoods, Sand Pine scrub, marshes, and hardwood forests. Activities include canoeing and kayaking, camping, boating, picnicking, swimming. Among the wildlife of the park are alligators, turtles, osprey. Amenities include a 60-site campground, boat ramp, dock, and picnic area. The park is open from 8:00 am till sundown year-round.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Manatee State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Manatee 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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:28 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 116° ESE | 5:40 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 36m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 14m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 30m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 52m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 43m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 08m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 48m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 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 Lake Manatee 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.8 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 5:09 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:59 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.5 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 1:32 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.5 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:29 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: 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 ≈ 20.63 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
- 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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Manatee State Park, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Botanical Garden
Beach
Botanical Garden
State Park
State Park
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Manatee State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lake Manatee State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Manatee State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Manatee State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Manatee State Park?
How far is Lake Manatee State Park from The Meadows?
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.