Martin's Beach is a beach in San Mateo County, California. It sits roughly 10.0 km (6.2 mi) S of Half Moon Bay.
Martins Beach is a beach located in San Mateo County, California, named after local landowner and farmer Nicholas Martin. The beach is accessible only via Martins Beach Road, which runs from Highway 1 through privately held land. Billionaire Vinod Khosla, the current owner of the land, has sought to establish that he has the right to refuse access to the public.From the Wikipedia article “Martins Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Martin's Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Martin's Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:16 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:30 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.3 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (59%). September 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 | 67 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 88 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 84 | 78 | 65 |
| Low °F | 36 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 47 | 39 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay, 15.6 km (9.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Martin's Beach, closest first.
Ghost Town
Beach
State Park
State Park
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State ParkBeach
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Martin's Beach?
What time is golden hour at Martin's Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Martin's Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Martin's Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Martin's Beach?
How far is Martin's Beach from Half Moon 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.