Located in Queens County, New York, Rockaway Beach is a beach. It lies in or next to Gateway National Recreation Area, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Belle Harbor, about 600 m away (Rockaway Beach lies SSW of town).
The Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk is a public park in Rockaway, Queens, New York, composed of the 170-acre (69 ha) Rockaway Beach and the adjacent 5.5-mile (8.9 km) Rockaway Boardwalk. The beach runs from Beach 9th Street in Far Rockaway to Beach 149th Street in Neponsit, a distance of 7 miles (11 km). The boardwalk, a concrete deck, runs from Beach 9th Street to Beach 126th Street in Rockaway Park, at the edge of Belle Harbor. There are also numerous recreational facilities within the park, parallel to the beach and boardwalk.From the Wikipedia article “Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rockaway Beach 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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 58° ENE | 8:30 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 121° ESE | 4:32 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Rockaway Beach, 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 21° 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 | 2:22 AM – 4:32 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:37 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:47 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 ≈ 17.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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
- 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.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Barren Island, Rockaway Inlet, 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Rockaway Beach, closest first.
Beach
State Park
Beach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Beach
Lighthouse
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Camp Gateway- Brooklyn Ny3.8 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Camp Gateway - Staten Island17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Camp Gateway - Sandy Hook18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rockaway Beach?
What time is golden hour at Rockaway Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rockaway Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rockaway Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rockaway Beach?
How far is Rockaway Beach from Belle Harbor?
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.