Lovers Key State Park is a state park in Lee County, Florida. It sits roughly 8.7 km (5.4 mi) SW of Estero.
Lovers Key State Park is a 712-acre (2.88 km2) Florida State Park located on Lover's Key and three other barrier islands—Black Island, Inner and Long Key. It is at 8700 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, between Big Carlos Pass and New Pass and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) west of Interstate 75 on exit 116. The park lies within the city limits of Bonita Springs and is just north of Bonita Beach. The park uses a Fort Myers Beach zip code for address purposes. Activities include shelling, swimming, picnicking, boating, and sunbathing, as well as canoeing/kayaking, hiking, bicycling and wildlife viewing. Among the wildlife of the park are West Indian manatees, bottlenose dolphins, marsh rabbits, and over 40 bird species, including roseate spoonbills, osprey, snowy egret, bald eagles, and American kestrel. Black Island has woodpeckers, hawks, owls and warblers. Amenities include a two-mile (3 km)...From the Wikipedia article “Lovers Key State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lovers Key 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 87° in summer but only 40° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:24 PM | 297° WNW | 87° | 13h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 64° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 116° ESE | 5:41 PM | 244° WSW | 40° | 10h 29m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 40m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 17m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 47m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 26m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 47m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 38m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 05m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 19m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 33m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 51m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 30m |
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 Lovers Key State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 35° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 6:14 AM | 2.5 | 31° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 4.0 | 35° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 5:15 AM | 5.5 | 35° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:54 PM – 5:04 AM | 7.2 | 35° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.7 | 35° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 1:28 AM | 4.0 | 35° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 11:31 PM | 2.7 | 32° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:28 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.0 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 85 | 88 | 96 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 96 | 95 | 94 | 91 | 90 | 87 |
| Low °F | 24 | 29 | 34 | 41 | 54 | 68 | 71 | 69 | 62 | 40 | 39 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 7.2 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Lovers Key State Park, closest first.
Beach
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
LighthouseBeach
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lovers Key State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lovers Key State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lovers Key State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lovers Key State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lovers Key State Park?
How far is Lovers Key State Park from Estero?
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.