Marine Street Beach — a beach in San Diego County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.3 km (0.8 mi) SSW of La Jolla.
Marine Street Beach is a public beach in the community of La Jolla in San Diego, California, on the Pacific Ocean. It sits at the western terminus of Marine Street, with Children's Pool Beach to the north and Windansea Beach to the south. The surf has been described as rough and not suitable for children. However, the rough surf has made the beach popular with surfers and bodyboarders. Nearby kelp beds host marine life making the area a popular dive spot. Marine Street Beach is patrolled by lifeguards in the summer, and on peak weekends during the spring and fall. Facilities are limited, with no public bathrooms, picnic areas, or a designated parking lot. Free parking is available on surface streets in the surrounding residential neighborhood.From the Wikipedia article “Marine Street Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marine Street Beach 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 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Marine Street Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:25 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:26 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 12:25 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:30 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.53 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 74 | 77 | 81 | 78 | 81 | 78 | 83 | 83 | 86 | 89 | 82 | 73 |
| Low °F | 48 | 48 | 51 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 57 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 51 | 51 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 La Jolla (Scripps Institution Wharf), 4.0 km (2.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Marine Street Beach, closest first.
Beach
Beach
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Beach
Canyon
Lighthouse
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marine Street Beach?
What time is golden hour at Marine Street Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marine Street Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marine Street Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marine Street Beach?
How far is Marine Street Beach from La Jolla?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.