Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Monroe County, Florida.
The Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in north Key Largo, less than 40 miles (64 km) south of Miami off SR 905 (Card Sound Road). The 6,686 acres (2,706 ha) refuge (located in Monroe County, Florida) opened during the year of 1980, under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It was established in order to protect critical breeding and nesting habitat for the threatened American crocodile and other wildlife. This area also includes 650 acres (260 ha) of open water in and around the refuge. In addition to being one of only three breeding populations of the American crocodile, the refuge is home to tropical hardwood hammock, mangrove forest, and salt marsh. It is administered as part of the National Key Deer Refuge which is also located in the Florida Keys.From the Wikipedia article “Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (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 88° in summer but only 41° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 64° ENE | 8:15 PM | 297° WNW | 88° | 13h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 65° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 116° ESE | 5:37 PM | 244° WSW | 41° | 10h 34m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 44m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 19m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 45m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 22m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 42m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 34m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:26 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 02m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 19m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 35m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 55m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 34m |
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 Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 36° 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 | 4:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.2 | 22° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:37 AM – 6:07 AM | 2.5 | 32° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 4.0 | 36° | SE → S |
| May | 11:34 PM – 5:04 AM | 5.5 | 36° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 4:53 AM | 7.2 | 36° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.8 | 36° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:19 PM – 1:29 AM | 4.2 | 36° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 11:23 PM | 2.7 | 33° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.3 | 23° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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 ≈ 20.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 83 | 86 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 86 | 82 |
| Low °F | 37 | 43 | 48 | 58 | 67 | 76 | 78 | 79 | 73 | 57 | 53 | 41 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 4.7 | 8.1 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge from North Key Largo?
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.