West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts — a beach in Essex County, Massachusetts — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.5 km (2.2 mi) WSW of Manchester-by-the-Sea.
West Beach is a 1.13-mile (1.82 km)-long beach on the North Shore of Massachusetts located in the City of Beverly, Massachusetts. It is located along West Street, in Beverly Farms. The beach is part of a strip of sandy coastline about one mile long, extending from a rocky enclave at Lees crossing Westerly to the Prides Crossing area of Beverly. There is a beach parking area that is owned by the residents of Beverly Farms. The residents of Beverly Farms has ownership for about 1⁄4 of the length of this stretch. The Beach is open year round. During the nine-month off-season, the membership requirements are not enforced.From the Wikipedia article “West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 122° ESE | 4:14 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:44 PM | 9h 05m |
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 West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:16 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.68 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 58 | 56 | 67 | 76 | 79 | 84 | 88 | 89 | 86 | 77 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | -1 | -1 | 8 | 27 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 56 | 49 | 36 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Beverly, Beverly Harbor, 7.1 km (4.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts, closest first.
Lighthouse
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts?
What time is golden hour at West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts?
How far is West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts from Manchester-by-the-Sea?
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.