Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Monroe County, Florida — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.1 km (3.8 mi) WNW of Cudjoe Key.
The Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in a region known as the 'Backcountry', which reaches from north of Marathon to north of Key West.From the Wikipedia article “Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Great White Heron 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 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:39 AM | 64° ENE | 8:19 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 66° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 116° ESE | 5:43 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 36m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:26 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 46m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:36 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:19 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 40m |
| July | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 32m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 37m |
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 Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 6:11 AM | 2.7 | 32° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:37 AM – 5:37 AM | 4.0 | 36° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 5:18 AM | 5.7 | 36° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 5:06 AM | 7.3 | 36° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.8 | 36° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 1:32 AM | 4.2 | 36° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 11:38 PM | 2.8 | 33° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 9:36 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 50 | 53 | 59 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 66 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Beach
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
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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.