Located in Cumberland County, Maine, Pine Point Beach is a beach. It sits roughly 4.1 km (2.5 mi) NE of Old Orchard Beach.
Pine Point Beach is a four-mile municipal beach located on the northern edge of Saco Bay in Scarborough, Maine, United States. It spans the outlet of the Scarborough River. It has 7,000 feet of sandy ocean frontage. It also includes a sensitive sand dune system and a significant number of nearby commercial and residential buildings.From the Wikipedia article “Pine Point Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pine Point Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 56° NE | 8:27 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 123° ESE | 4:08 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:25 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:44 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:39 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Pine Point Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:11 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:35 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:13 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:17 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.41 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 73 | 85 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 95 | 94 | 79 | 68 | 62 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | -6 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 39 | 25 | 8 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Pine Point, Scarborough River, 616 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pine Point Beach, closest first.
Beach
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Lighthouse
LighthouseWaterfall
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pine Point Beach?
What time is golden hour at Pine Point Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pine Point Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pine Point Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pine Point Beach?
How far is Pine Point Beach from Old Orchard Beach?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.