Bradwell Bay Wilderness is a wilderness area in Wakulla County, Florida. It sits roughly 17.5 km (10.9 mi) W of Crawfordville.
The Bradwell Bay Wilderness is part of the United States National Wilderness Preservation System, located in the Florida panhandle adjacent to the Apalachicola National Forest. The 24,602 acre (100 km2) wilderness was established on 3 January 1975 by the Eastern Wilderness Act. "Bay" in this case means "a recess of land, partly surrounded by hills", which, in this particular instance, is mostly titi swamp and standing water. The Sopchoppy River marks the Bradwell Bay's eastern edge. A section of the Florida Trail, which usually requires wading through swampy terrain, passes through the wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Bradwell Bay Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bradwell Bay Wilderness 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) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:38 AM | 62° ENE | 8:44 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 117° ESE | 5:43 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:30 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:09 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 13m |
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 Bradwell Bay Wilderness, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:06 AM – 6:26 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:19 PM – 4:59 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:28 PM – 9:28 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 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 wilderness area
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Bradwell Bay Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
State Park
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Beach
Lake
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bradwell Bay Wilderness?
How far is Bradwell Bay Wilderness from Crawfordville?
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.