Exploring The Dark Skies Of The Everglades

I first got interested in photographing the Milky Way about 5 years ago. I was fascinated with the images of our galaxy I saw online and in magazines. It seemed a distant goal and was something I wasn't even sure I would ever be able to do. I live in Fort Lauderdale, FL which is a pretty big metro area and seeing stars is getting more difficult let alone trying to see the Milky Way. Even if I could find a sky dark enough I didn't have the first clue how to find it in the sky. I even went out to a local state park about 20 minutes away that borders the Everglades thinking the Milky Way would magically be glowing in the sky the way I had seen it in pictures. Well, that didn't happen lol. So I made it my goal to do as much research as possible and figure how and where to see this wondrous sight.

I knew that if I wanted to see the Milky Way I had to drive far away from city lights and populated areas. Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park were the only places I found nearby according the Dark Sky maps I found online (darksitefinder.com is a great resource). I watched the weather reports, waited for a clear night, and then I took the 90 minute trip out to Big Cypress National Preserve to try my luck. I was ready to be disappointed. When I got out of my car I gave my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness and looked up. Holy crap. There it was! Not as bright as you see it in photos but bright enough that it was clearly visible as a band stretching across the night sky. That night began an unforgettable journey for me and one that I am still on to this day. It's hard work and there is a definitely a learning curve but it is well worth the effort. If you live in South Florida or are planning a visit then read on for a few of the best locations to view and photograph the Milky Way.

My favorite location in South Florida to see the Milky Way is Big Cypress National Preserve. In 2016 Big Cypress was designated as an Official Dark Sky Place by the International Dark Sky Association. In South Florida here is where the Milky Way shines the brightest.

Everglades National Park is also a favorite location and has skies almost as dark as Big Cypress. I say almost because it is a bit closer to populated areas and there is a bit more glow on the horizon from nearby Homestead, FL. Still a great place though and one I visit several times a year. It's also a great place to go during the day to see some amazing wildlife including alligators AND crocodiles.

If you would like to read a more in depth article about where and how to find the Milky Way in South Florida then I encourage you to check out my most recent blogs by clicking on more info below.

More info: alligatoroutpost.com

The Milky Way glows above the Scenic Highway which is the main road that leads you deep into Everglades National Park.

The Milky Way begins to descend below the horizon at Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress is where the Milky Way appears the brightest in South Florida.

A group of Royal Palm Trees frame the Milky Way at Big Cypress National Preserve.

A car seems to be escaping the dangerous looking storm clouds beneath the Milky Way at Everglades National Park. This is another image taken on the Main Park Road (aka the Scenic Road) that runs all the way through the park. This turned out to be an intense thunder and lightning storm which eventually chased us out of the park.

The Milky Way over Chokoloskee Bay near Everglades City, FL. This is about 20 minutes away from Big Cypress National Preserve.

The core is the brightest part of the Milky Way and the Holy Grail when it comes to Milky Way photography. This is what you want to capture when getting a photo of our galaxy.

One of the most amazing and intense electrical storms I've ever seen happened on a night I was out to shoot the Milky Way in Everglades National Park. I didn't get the Milky Way but this photographer isn't complaining! Check out video from this storm below.

This is from the same night as the lightning pic above. This was the most awesome electrical storm I've ever seen. This video was not edited and is real time. Filmed in IR and not the best quality but you can still get an idea of how intense it was.