Located in Nassau County, New York, North Hempstead Beach Park is a beach. The nearest town is Glenwood Landing, about 1.2 km (0.7 mi) away (North Hempstead Beach Park lies WSW of town).
North Hempstead Beach Park (officially known as Bar Beach and Hempstead Harbor Parks) is a beach located on Hempstead Harbor in Port Washington, in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is located in and owned and operated by the Town of North Hempstead.From the Wikipedia article “North Hempstead Beach Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At North Hempstead Beach Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 58° ENE | 8:30 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 121° ESE | 4:31 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 16m |
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 North Hempstead Beach Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:38 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:48 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:49 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 7:47 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.97 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 60 | 58 | 63 | 77 | 80 | 87 | 94 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 69 | 64 |
| Low °F | 8 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 59 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 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.
- 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 Harry Tappen Marina, Hempstead Harbor, 760 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of North Hempstead Beach Park, closest first.
Beach
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
LighthouseLighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph North Hempstead Beach Park?
What time is golden hour at North Hempstead Beach Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at North Hempstead Beach Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from North Hempstead Beach Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at North Hempstead Beach Park?
How far is North Hempstead Beach Park from Glenwood Landing?
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.