Located in Franklin County, Florida, St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Apalachicola, about 16.6 km (10.3 mi) away (St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge lies WSW of town).
The St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Apalachicola, on the barrier island of St. Vincent. The refuge includes Pig Island (46 acres, undeveloped), located in the southwest corner of St. Joseph Bay, nearly 9 miles west of St. Vincent and 86 acres of mainland Florida along Franklin County Road 30A. The 12,490-acre (51 km2) refuge was established in 1968. The purpose of the refuge is to provide habitat for migratory birds including some endangered species. About 277 bird species use the islands as a migratory stopping point annually. St. Vincent Island and Pig Island are open for recreational activities and are accessible only by boat. The islands contain undeveloped trails and beaches, with no visitor center, drinking water or restrooms. Saint Vincent is the westernmost of...From the Wikipedia article “St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At St. Vincent 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) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:42 AM | 62° ENE | 8:45 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 117° ESE | 5:47 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:32 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:02 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 15m |
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. Vincent 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 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 | 5:01 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 6:29 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 5:00 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:31 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.0 | 20° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 46% 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 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 79 | 85 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 85 | 80 | 76 |
| Low °F | 35 | 43 | 43 | 52 | 62 | 72 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 57 | 46 | 42 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 5.6 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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 St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Sand Dunes
Lighthouse
Beach
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge from Apalachicola?
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.