McCook Point Park is a beach in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut. It sits roughly 700 m SSW of Niantic.
McCook Point is a public park and beach located in the village of Niantic in the town of East Lyme. It adjoins the town's Hole in the Wall Beach to its east and the private Crescent Beach to its west. Combined, the two parks encompass 21 acres of land, the bulk of which is within the section known as McCook Point Park. McCook Park has the following facilities: A covered picnic pavilion that can be rented and reserved for use Two restroom facilities: one at the lower beach area, the other on the bluff near the picnic pavilion Playground equipment on the bluff area Parking by the beach and on the bluff by the pavilionFrom the Wikipedia article “McCook Park Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McCook Point Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:26 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 121° ESE | 4:23 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 13m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 McCook Point Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:35 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 1:43 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 9:34 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 7:41 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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 ≈ 19.58 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). July 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 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 68 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -1 | 21 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
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.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- 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 Niantic, Niantic River, 995 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of McCook Point Park, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Beach
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Waterfall
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph McCook Point Park?
What time is golden hour at McCook Point Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at McCook Point Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from McCook Point Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McCook Point Park?
How far is McCook Point Park from Niantic?
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.