Pfeiffer Beach is a beach in Monterey County, California. It sits roughly 3.6 km (2.2 mi) SSW of Big Sur.
Pfeiffer Beach is located in the Big Sur region of California. It is one of the most popular beaches on the Central Coast and is well known for Keyhole Rock, a popular photography subject. On a limited number of days in December and January each year, photographers crowd the beach to obtain pictures of the setting sun visible through the arch. Due to the steep terrain prevalent along the Big Sur coast, it is one of the few ocean access points within Big Sur The road and the beach are within the Los Padres National Forest. The road is named for the Western Sycamores that grow along the road and near the beach. The weather from June to August can be foggy and cold, known locally as "June Gloom."From the Wikipedia article “Pfeiffer Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pfeiffer Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 60° ENE | 8:29 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 4:57 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Pfeiffer Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 4:18 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:57 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.45 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). 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 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 110 | 113 | 102 | 90 | 77 |
| Low °F | 20 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
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.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pfeiffer Beach, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Wilderness Area
State Park
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- China Camp Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- White Oaks Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Arroyo Seco Group Campground30 km (19 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pfeiffer Beach?
What time is golden hour at Pfeiffer Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pfeiffer Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pfeiffer Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pfeiffer Beach?
How far is Pfeiffer Beach from Big Sur?
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.