Big Bear Beach — a beach in Glades County, Florida — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Buckhead Ridge, about 19.5 km (12.1 mi) away (Big Bear Beach lies SW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Bear Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 40° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:31 AM | 63° ENE | 8:22 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 116° ESE | 5:36 PM | 244° WSW | 40° | 10h 26m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 37m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 15m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 48m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 28m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 50m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 41m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 06m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 49m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 27m |
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 Big Bear Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:40 AM – 6:10 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 4.0 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 5:02 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 4:52 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.7 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:25 PM – 1:25 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.7 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 9:24 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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 ≈ 21.38 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (59%). August 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 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 94 | 90 | 88 |
| Low °F | 24 | 28 | 34 | 41 | 54 | 66 | 70 | 68 | 62 | 38 | 37 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Big Bear Beach, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Bear Beach?
What time is golden hour at Big Bear Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Bear Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Bear Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Bear Beach?
How far is Big Bear Beach from Buckhead Ridge?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.