Located in Dixie County, Florida, Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 28 km (18 mi) SW of Manatee Road.
The Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge (LSNWR) is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located in southeastern Dixie and northwestern Levy counties on the western coast of Florida, approximately fifty miles southwest of the city of Gainesville. The 53,000-acre (210 km2) wildlife refuge was established in 1979 to protect one of the largest undeveloped river delta systems in the United States. It includes twenty miles (32 km) of the Suwannee River estuary and twenty miles (32 km) of coastline. The constant influx of nutrients from the Suwannee River combined with numerous off-shore islands and tidal creeks create excellent wildlife habitat which supports kites, bald eagles, manatees, sturgeon, deer, and turkeys, to name but a few of the species which take refuge there. For tourists, the refuge offers bird and wildlife observation, wildlife photography,...From the Wikipedia article “Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 62° ENE | 8:36 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 117° ESE | 5:39 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 16m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 12m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 42m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 17m |
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 Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, 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 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 6:20 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 5:07 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 4:49 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 9:22 PM | 1.0 | 20° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 76 | 80 | 86 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 87 | 81 | 75 |
| Low °F | 32 | 39 | 44 | 52 | 60 | 71 | 77 | 76 | 66 | 54 | 43 | 40 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 6.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge from Manatee Road?
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.