Lakeview Park — a beach in Lorain County, Ohio — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.4 km (0.9 mi) NW of Lorain.
Lakeview Park is a public beach park located along Lake Erie in Lorain, Ohio. Established in 1917 by the City of Lorain, the park is divided into north and south sections by U.S. Route 6 / West Erie Avenue. Both sides of the park were managed by the City of Lorain until 2006 when management was split between the City of Lorain and the Lorain County Metro Parks. The north beach side is managed by the Lorain County Metro Parks and Lakeview Park South is managed by the City of Lorain. The north side of the park includes the public beach, Bath House (with event space with a restaurant and concession stand in the summer), rose garden, fountain, lawn bowling, gazebos and picnic areas, and several historical monuments including one of the Lorain Easter Baskets. Since 2020, the Lorain Public Library System operates a converted shipping container as a "Little Library on the Lake" which lends...From the Wikipedia article “Lakeview Park (Lorain, Ohio)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lakeview Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 57° ENE | 9:07 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 121° ESE | 5:03 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Lakeview Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.5 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 62% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 56 | 59 | 71 | 69 | 83 | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88 | 82 | 70 | 60 |
| Low °F | -9 | -3 | 2 | 25 | 32 | 44 | 53 | 56 | 45 | 37 | 18 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Lakeview Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lakeview Park?
What time is golden hour at Lakeview Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lakeview Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lakeview Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lakeview Park?
How far is Lakeview Park from Lorain?
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.