Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Martin County, Florida — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hobe Sound, about 3.1 km (1.9 mi) away (Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge lies SE of town).
The Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, a part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, is a refuge on Jupiter Island in Florida. Its official name as of 2019 is the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Part of the refuge is inside the town of Jupiter Island, while the rest is in the unincorporated areas of Martin County. The 1,035-acre (4.19 km2) refuge was established in 1969, to protect the loggerhead and green sea turtles. It is administered as part of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Within the refuge is the 173-acre (0.70 km2) Reed Wilderness Seashore Sanctuary, designated a National Natural Landmark in November 1967. Additionally, there are nature trails that exhibit three distinct habitats including the sand pine scrub, coastal hammock and the protected beach, plus and indoor area which displays several of the native species.From the Wikipedia article “Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (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 86° in summer but only 40° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 63° ENE | 8:18 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 116° ESE | 5:32 PM | 244° WSW | 40° | 10h 26m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 37m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 15m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 48m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 28m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 50m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 41m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 06m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 49m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 27m |
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 Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.0 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:36 AM – 6:06 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 4.0 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 4:58 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 4:48 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.7 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:21 PM – 1:21 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.7 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 9:20 PM | 1.2 | 22° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.55 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 85 | 89 | 94 | 96 | 100 | 98 | 97 | 97 | 93 | 91 | 87 | 87 |
| Low °F | 30 | 32 | 37 | 47 | 54 | 69 | 72 | 71 | 64 | 44 | 42 | 30 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 4.3 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouse
State Park
State Park
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge from Hobe Sound?
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.