Poplar Beach — a beach in San Mateo County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.7 km (1.1 mi) WSW of Half Moon Bay.
Poplar Beach is a beach located in and operated by the city of Half Moon Bay, California. It lies at the end of Poplar Street west of State Route 1. Located roughly a half mile south of Half Moon Bay State Beach, Poplar Beach allows horses and leashed dogs. It is close to a residential area, and there are no fireworks or beach fires allowed. Poplar Beach is open until sunset and is free to the public (though the nearest parking lot is metered). The Coastal Trail links Poplar Beach to Half Moon Bay State Beach along the top of a bluff with scenic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Mavericks surfing location to the north. This hiking trail is also open to horses and dogs.From the Wikipedia article “Poplar Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Poplar Beach 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 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 | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:35 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:24 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 | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:56 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 | 7:11 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 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 15m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 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 Poplar Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 6 (bright 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 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.1 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
- 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.
- 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 Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay, 6.2 km (3.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Poplar Beach, closest first.
State Park
Beach
Ghost Town
Beach
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
State Park
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Poplar Beach?
What time is golden hour at Poplar Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Poplar Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Poplar Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Poplar Beach?
How far is Poplar 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.