Myakka River State Park is a state park in Sarasota County, Florida. The nearest town is Lake Sarasota, about 13.3 km (8.3 mi) away (Myakka River State Park lies ESE of town).
Myakka River State Park is a Florida State Park, that is located nine miles (14 km) east of Interstate 75 in Sarasota County and a portion of southeastern Manatee County on the Atlantic coastal plain. This state park consists of 37,000 acres (150 km2), making it one of the state's largest parks. It is also one of the oldest parks in the state. It was delineated in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. A small portion (1,920 acres or 7.8 km2) of the park was the gift of the family of Bertha Palmer to the state. The park is managed and maintained by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Recreation and Parks, with help from the Friends of Myakka River. The park is named after the Myakka River, Florida's first "Wild and Scenic River".From the Wikipedia article “Myakka River State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Myakka River 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 | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:28 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 52m |
| 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 | 5:41 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 25m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 36m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 15m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:38 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 48m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 29m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 51m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 42m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 07m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:35 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 | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 49m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 26m |
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 Myakka River 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.0 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.8 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 5:08 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 4:58 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:56 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.7 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:31 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:33 PM | 2.7 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:29 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.65 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
- 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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Myakka River State Park, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Beach
Beach
Botanical GardenBeachBeach
State ParkBeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Myakka River State Park?
What time is golden hour at Myakka River State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Myakka River State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Myakka River State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Myakka River State Park?
How far is Myakka River State Park from Lake Sarasota?
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.