Located in Calhoun County, Florida, Torreya State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 15.6 km (9.7 mi) S of Sneads. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Torreya State Park is a 13,735 acres (55.58 km2) Florida State Park, United States National Natural Landmark and historic site thirteen miles (21 km) north of Bristol. It is located north of S.R 12 on the Apalachicola River, in northwestern Florida (Florida Panhandle), at 2576 N.W. Torreya Park Road. It was named for the Florida Nutmeg (Torreya taxifolia) trees, a rare species of Torreya tree endemic to the local east bank of the Apalachicola River's limestone bluffs.From the Wikipedia article “Torreya State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Torreya 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 62° ENE | 7:46 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:34 AM | 117° ESE | 4:44 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 10m |
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 | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 5:57 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:53 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 5:41 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 11m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Torreya State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:09 AM – 5:29 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:09 PM – 4:09 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:22 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.5 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:19 PM – 2:29 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:50 PM – 12:30 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:08 PM – 10:28 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 86 | 89 | 96 | 103 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 104 | 100 | 89 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 21 | 22 | 35 | 44 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 49 | 32 | 21 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 4.5 |
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 Torreya State Park, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Lake
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Torreya State Park?
What time is golden hour at Torreya State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Torreya State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Torreya State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Torreya State Park?
How far is Torreya State Park from Sneads?
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.