Chicken Bone Beach — a beach in Atlantic County, New Jersey — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Atlantic City, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Chicken Bone Beach lies SW of town).
Missouri Avenue Beach, often referred to as "Chicken Bone Beach," is a lifeguarded beach on the Jersey Shore. It was an early and mid-twentieth-century Black resort destination and racially segregated section of the Atlantic Ocean beach near the Northside neighborhood of Atlantic City, New Jersey (between Missouri and Mississippi Avenues). The name was initially most likely a pejorative or condescending reference to the packed lunches brought by beachgoers who were not permitted by unspoken sentiment in many dining establishments, but the Black community has reclaimed the name as a point of resistance and pride. The beach is now home to swimming, sunbathing, jazz and other local events.From the Wikipedia article “Missouri Avenue Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chicken Bone 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) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 58° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:38 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Chicken Bone 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 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:00 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: 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 ≈ 18.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 62 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 88 | 84 | 71 | 67 |
| Low °F | 6 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 37 | 49 | 58 | 58 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Atlantic City (Ocean), 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chicken Bone Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeLighthouse
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chicken Bone Beach?
What time is golden hour at Chicken Bone Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chicken Bone Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chicken Bone Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chicken Bone Beach?
How far is Chicken Bone Beach from Atlantic City?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.