Ravine Gardens State Park is a state park in Putnam County, Florida. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) SSW of Palatka. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ravine Gardens State Park is a 59-acre (240,000 m2) Florida State Park located in Palatka, Florida. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The park was constructed by the Works Progress Administration, with cypress buildings, rock gardens and fieldstone terraces. Near the park entrance is The Court of States and a 64-foot (20 m) obelisk dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt.From the Wikipedia article “Ravine Gardens State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ravine Gardens State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 62° ENE | 8:31 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 117° ESE | 5:33 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 7:58 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 15m |
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 Ravine Gardens State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° 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 | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:54 PM – 5:04 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 4:46 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:03 PM – 3:23 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 1:15 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:14 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:17 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.8 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 81 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 91 | 87 | 82 |
| Low °F | 29 | 32 | 36 | 46 | 53 | 66 | 71 | 71 | 63 | 43 | 39 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
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 Ravine Gardens State Park, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Lake
State Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ravine Gardens State Park?
What time is golden hour at Ravine Gardens State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ravine Gardens State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ravine Gardens State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ravine Gardens State Park?
How far is Ravine Gardens State Park from Palatka?
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.