Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Citrus County, Florida — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.8 km (8.0 mi) SSW of Homosassa.
The 30,843 acres (124.82 km2) Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located on the west coast of Florida, about 70 miles (110 km) north of St. Petersburg. It is famous as the southern wintering site for the re-introduced eastern population of whooping cranes. The Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge Complex was changed to the Crystal River Complex, headquartered at Crystal River, Florida, and consists of portions of the Chassahowitzka River and Crystal River, as well as what are known as the Tampa Bay Refuges: Egmont Key, Passage Key and Pinellas. The Chassahowitzka Wilderness consists of 23,578.93 acres (95.4205 km2) or 76.4% of its total area. Only a portion in the northeast is not designated as wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 63° ENE | 8:32 PM | 298° WNW | 85° | 13h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:39 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 19m |
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
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 31m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 11m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 51m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 34m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 58m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 48m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 11m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 44m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 20m |
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 Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 32° 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 | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.8 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 5:05 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 4:56 AM | 6.8 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:04 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.5 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 11:27 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.99 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 82 | 85 | 92 | 95 | 97 | 97 | 96 | 94 | 92 | 90 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 26 | 30 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 71 | 70 | 61 | 43 | 37 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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 national wildlife refuge
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
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National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge from Homosassa?
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.