Burnt Cedar Beach is a beach in Washoe County, Nevada at about 1,900 m (6,234 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Incline Village, about 700 m away (Burnt Cedar Beach lies SSE of town).
Burnt Cedar Beach is a community-operated private beach located at 665 Lakeshore Drive in north Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in the United States, managed by the Incline Village General Improvement District. There are four beaches in the district: Burnt Cedar, Incline Beach, Ski Beach, and Sand Harbor Beach. Visitors must have an IVID access card to enter; access is limited to property owners within the 1968-era boundaries of the district, although the boundaries have since expanded. Amenities of the beach include a large heated swimming pool with a lifeguard and water slide, a toddler pool, a snack bar, a lawn and playground, picnic tables, and barbecues. The beach has approximately 1,300 ft (400 m) of shoreline, and a 200 ft (61 m) jetty.From the Wikipedia article “Burnt Cedar Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Burnt Cedar Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:30 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 25m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Burnt Cedar Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 70 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 101 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 89 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 5 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
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.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- 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 Burnt Cedar Beach, closest first.
Beach
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
State ParkBeach
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mount Rose (Nv) 9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Alpine Meadow Campground15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- William Kent Campground19.9 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
- Boca Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Silver Creek-Truckee20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Burnt Cedar Beach?
What time is golden hour at Burnt Cedar Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Burnt Cedar Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Burnt Cedar Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Burnt Cedar Beach?
How far is Burnt Cedar Beach from Incline Village?
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.