Pine Bush Beach — a beach in Lenoir County, North Carolina — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 10.6 km (6.6 mi) SSE of La Grange.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pine Bush 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 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 60° ENE | 8:29 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 5:03 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Pine Bush 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 4:18 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:34 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:36 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.7 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.3 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 (56%). 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 | 74 | 77 | 83 | 88 | 99 | 103 | 105 | 104 | 99 | 98 | 84 | 77 |
| Low °F | 6 | 6 | 13 | 25 | 37 | 50 | 59 | 54 | 46 | 31 | 20 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pine Bush Beach, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pine Bush Beach?
What time is golden hour at Pine Bush Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pine Bush Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pine Bush Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pine Bush Beach?
How far is Pine Bush Beach from La Grange?
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.