Bay Street Beach Historic District is a beach in Los Angeles County, California. The nearest town is Santa Monica, about 1.0 km (0.6 mi) away (Bay Street Beach Historic District lies S of town).
From the National Park Service
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2019, The Bay Street Beach Historic District is significant for its contribution to seaside access, recreation, and leisure for African American between 1908 and 1965. As a location of contestation, the property is also associated with the broader American Civil Rights narrative--in this case a demanding of access to, and proper enjoyment of, public trust resources. Sometimes derogatorily referred to as “the Inkwell,” noting the skin color of its patrons, the beach was self-selected by the local African American community as a place of recreation and leisure where its visitors felt relatively safe from harassment. In the Jim Crow era, California’s lax enforcement or overlooked civil rights laws dating back to the 1890s and Los Angeles’ de facto white supremacist policies manifested as restricted housing, employment, and often access to public lands or facilities. The area became a recognized extension of Santa Monica's African American community life and a leisure destination for the region’s larger Black population. The period of significance for this historic district begins in 1908 when the Phillips Chapel Colored Methodist Episcopal (later Christian Methodist Episcopal, CME) Church building was purchased from the Santa Monica School Board and relocated to the corner of Fourth and Bay Streets, creating an anchor for local African American spiritual and community life. The period of significance ends in 1965 with passage of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). The VRA, together with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, removed federal and state discrimination barriers in public places, housing, employment, and voting, ending most Jim Crow policy as an era of de jure discrimination and segregation. Today the beach is enjoyed by all local and traveling visitors as a natural ground for relaxation and recreation.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bay Street Beach Historic District the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 61° ENE | 8:09 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:56 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Bay Street Beach Historic District, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:26 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.0 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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 beach
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Santa Monica, Municipal Pier, 835 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bay Street Beach Historic District, closest first.
State Park
Canyon
State ParkState Park
Botanical Garden
Natural Arch
Natural Arch
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bay Street Beach Historic District?
What time is golden hour at Bay Street Beach Historic District?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bay Street Beach Historic District?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bay Street Beach Historic District?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bay Street Beach Historic District?
How far is Bay Street Beach Historic District from Santa Monica?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.