Doran Regional Park is a beach in Sonoma County, California. The nearest town is Bodega Bay, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Doran Regional Park lies SSE of town).
Doran Regional Park is a regional park south of Bodega Bay, California, U.S.A. that is maintained by the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department. It covers an area of 127 acres (51 ha). It is located at 38.314°N 123.0428°W / 38.314; -123.0428 on the sand spit separating Bodega Harbor from Bodega Bay. The park address is 201 Doran Beach Road, Bodega Bay, CA.From the Wikipedia article “Doran Regional Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Doran Regional Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:40 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:56 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Doran Regional Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). September is the warmest month and February 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 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 71 | 76 | 73 | 65 | 70 | 74 | 76 | 66 | 62 |
| Low °F | 41 | 43 | 42 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 50 | 53 | 53 | 51 | 45 | 43 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.3 | 6.7 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 4.2 | 8.6 |
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
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Bodega Harbor entrance, 1.2 km (0.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Doran Regional Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Beach
BeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Doran Regional Park?
What time is golden hour at Doran Regional Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Doran Regional Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Doran Regional Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Doran Regional Park?
How far is Doran Regional Park from Bodega Bay?
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.