St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Wakulla County, Florida. The nearest town is Woodville, about 20 km (13 mi) away (St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge lies SSE of town).
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is a wintering ground for migratory birds in Florida. Established in 1931, it encompasses more than 83,000 acres (340 km2) spread between Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor Counties in the state of Florida. The refuge includes several Gulf of Mexico coastal habitats, such as saltwater marshes, islands, tidal creeks, and the estuaries of several north Florida rivers. It is home to a diverse range of plants, animal life and structures such as the St. Marks Lighthouse. The refuge is inhabited by black bears, bobcats, otters, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, amphibians, alligators, snakes, freshwater and saltwater fish, as well as many different species of birds, including wading birds, waterfowl, and raptors. The St. Marks Refuge Association's friends' group and the photography club supply the majority of volunteers for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.From the Wikipedia article “St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At St. Marks 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 62° ENE | 8:42 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 117° ESE | 5:41 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:29 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 13m |
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 St. Marks 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 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 6:25 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:58 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 1:26 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 11:25 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:27 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 81 | 86 | 89 | 96 | 103 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 104 | 100 | 89 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 21 | 22 | 35 | 44 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 49 | 32 | 21 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 4.5 |
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 St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lake
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge from Woodville?
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.