Poverty Beach — a beach in Cape May County, New Jersey — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Cape May, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Poverty Beach lies ENE of town).
Poverty Beach or Sewell Point is a barrier spit, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) in length entirely within the City of Cape May, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. It is the southernmost barrier island in New Jersey.From the Wikipedia article “Poverty Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Poverty Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 28° 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) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Poverty 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 | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 19° | 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 ≈ 20.09 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 October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (64%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 59 | 58 | 59 | 68 | 73 | 80 | 84 | 84 | 81 | 76 | 68 | 64 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 25 | 35 | 42 | 55 | 64 | 68 | 58 | 46 | 34 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 5.1 |
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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Cape May Harbor, 814 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Poverty Beach, closest first.
Beach
Ghost Town
Lighthouse
State ParkBeach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Poverty Beach?
What time is golden hour at Poverty Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Poverty Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Poverty Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Poverty Beach?
How far is Poverty Beach from Cape May?
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.