Located in Pamlico County, North Carolina, Kennel Beach is a beach. The nearest town is Neuse Forest, about 7.9 km (4.9 mi) away (Kennel Beach lies NNE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kennel Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 60° ENE | 8:26 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 119° ESE | 5:00 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Kennel Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:41 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:39 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.22 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 93 | 96 | 97 | 96 | 91 | 89 | 79 | 74 |
| Low °F | 14 | 16 | 25 | 36 | 46 | 59 | 66 | 63 | 56 | 41 | 30 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Oriental, Neuse River, 18.9 km (11.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kennel Beach, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kennel Beach?
What time is golden hour at Kennel Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kennel Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kennel Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kennel Beach?
How far is Kennel Beach from Neuse Forest?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.