Long Key State Park — a state park in Monroe County, Florida — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) WSW of Islamorada.
Long Key State Park is a 965-acre (3.91 km2) Florida State Park located on Long Key, one of the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is at mile marker 67.5 on U.S. 1, 67400 Overseas Highway.From the Wikipedia article “Long Key State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Long Key State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:35 AM | 64° ENE | 8:16 PM | 297° WNW | 89° | 13h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 65° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 116° ESE | 5:40 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 36m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 46m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 21m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 40m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 32m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 01m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 36m |
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 Long Key State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 36° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:28 AM – 6:08 AM | 2.7 | 32° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 4.0 | 36° | SE → S |
| May | 11:35 PM – 5:15 AM | 5.7 | 36° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 5:03 AM | 7.3 | 36° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.8 | 36° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 1:30 AM | 4.2 | 36° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 11:35 PM | 2.8 | 33° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 9:33 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 84 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 51 | 54 | 59 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 77 | 67 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Long Key State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Beach
State Park
State Park
LighthouseBeachLighthouse
Lighthouse
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Long Key State Park?
What time is golden hour at Long Key State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Long Key State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Long Key State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Long Key State Park?
How far is Long Key State Park from Islamorada?
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.