Located in Alameda County, California, Radio Beach is a beach. It sits roughly 3.0 km (1.9 mi) WSW of Emeryville.
The Radio Beach Shoreline is the only beach in Oakland, California. On the San Francisco Bay, it borders the onramp to the Bay Bridge, leading into San Francisco. Its name refers to the radio towers on the beach. The beach is also known as 'Toll Plaza beach' due to its location next to the toll booths for the Bay Bridge. It's a popular place among kitesurfers from March to June. It is a bayfront beach on the north side of the San Francisco Bay Bridge approach past the toll plaza. Views of the bay north of Oakland, Mount Tamalpais, Angel Island and the Tiburon Peninsula can be seen from it.From the Wikipedia article “Radio Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Radio 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 | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 59° ENE | 8:35 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:54 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Radio 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 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 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 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.1 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Oakland, Matson Wharf, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Radio Beach, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Beach
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lighthouse
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Aquatic Park Cove, Black Point Overnight Anchoring, Sailing Vessels Only (Auxiliary Engine Ok)9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Rob Hill Group Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Kirby Cove Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Hawk Campground18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Bicentennial Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Radio Beach?
What time is golden hour at Radio Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Radio Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Radio Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Radio Beach?
How far is Radio Beach from Emeryville?
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.