Wingaersheek Beach — a beach in Essex County, Massachusetts — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gloucester, about 4.4 km (2.7 mi) away (Wingaersheek Beach lies NNW of town).
Wingaersheek Beach is a 0.6-mile (0.97 km) long beach located on the Annisquam River in West Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States. According to the USGS the name is a corruption of the earlier Dutch name "Wyngaerts Hoeck", which was derived from "Wyngaerton" (meaning "Vineland"). The name was described by Professor Trumbull as "not Indian" and stated by Professor E. N. Horsford to be "an undoubted corruption of the German (Low Dutch) name, "Wyngaerts Hoeck", which occurs on many maps between 1630 and 1670, especially in Ogilby's "America"." The beach was alternatively called Coffins Beach for Peter Coffin whose farm was located alongside this beach."From the Wikipedia article “Wingaersheek Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wingaersheek Beach 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) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 122° ESE | 4:13 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 5:06 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:43 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Wingaersheek Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:25 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: 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 ≈ 19.31 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.
- 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 Annisquam, Lobster Cove, 822 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Wingaersheek Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Ghost TownLighthouse
Lighthouse
State ParkLighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wingaersheek Beach?
What time is golden hour at Wingaersheek Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wingaersheek Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wingaersheek Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wingaersheek Beach?
How far is Wingaersheek Beach from Gloucester?
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.