Located in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, North Beach is a beach. It sits roughly 7.9 km (4.9 mi) SSE of Bayou Vista.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At North Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:06 AM | 62° ENE | 8:09 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 117° ESE | 5:11 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 15m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 North Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 32° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:31 PM – 4:41 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 3:00 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 1:02 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:52 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:55 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.05 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 75 | 79 | 81 | 85 | 91 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 93 | 89 | 83 | 77 |
| Low °F | 23 | 29 | 32 | 41 | 51 | 67 | 72 | 65 | 59 | 45 | 33 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 4.7 |
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
- 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.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Tesoro Marine Terminal, 5.5 km (3.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of North Beach, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph North Beach?
What time is golden hour at North Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at North Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from North Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at North Beach?
How far is North Beach from Bayou Vista?
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.