Located in Clatsop County, Oregon, Cannon Beach, Oregon is a beach. It lies in or next to Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 800 m SSW of Cannon Beach.
From the National Park Service
“They Call a whale E cu-la”—William Clark, January 8, 1806 A week after the 1805 winter solstice, Clatsop leader Coboway visited the log fort that the White visitors were building on his homelands. Coboway and other Clatsop people visited often to trade, smoke, and play games. But on this particular day in late December, Coboway shared some news: a “large Fish was drove by the Wind & waves on the shore.” Through the gestures Coboway made, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark realized it was a whale. A week later, Coboway and his friends returned with whale blubber. Lewis called the blubber “excellent food” and elaborated, “it was white & not unlike the fat of Poark, tho’ the texture was more spongey and somewhat coarser. I had a part of it cooked and found it very pallitable and tender, it resembled the beaver or the dog in flavour.” Clark decided that they should retrieve some blubber themselves. He hired a Clatsop man to guide him, twelve men, and Sacagawea (and presumably her baby) down the coast to the whale. They packed items that people in the nearby Nehalem village might want to trade for whale blubber, like fishhooks, files, and glass beads. When they arrived at the beach, the 105-foot-long whale was “nothing more than the Sceleton.” Nehalem families were “busily engaged boiling the blubber, which they performed in a large Squar wooden trought by means of hot Stones; the oil when extracted was Secured in bladders and the Guts of the whale.” Nehalem families offered to trade whale blubber and oil for elk meat, but Clark had not brought any with them. After more haggling, they decided that the glass beads would suffice. Clark, Charbonneau, Sacagawea, and the other men divided the heavy whale blubber and oil among their party and returned to Fort Clatsop. On the way, they passed many Chinook and Clatsop people who were also carrying large amounts of whale blubber home. Maybe they felt similar to Clark’s party: energized by the festive environment around this giant spectacle on the beach and excited to bring their families a special treat.
About this article: This article is part of a series called “Pivotal Places: Stories from the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.”
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cannon Beach, Oregon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 124° SE | 4:34 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 41m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Cannon Beach, Oregon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:32 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:26 AM – 3:26 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:52 PM – 2:42 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:32 PM – 1:22 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 57 | 59 | 66 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 87 | 79 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 39 | 31 | 24 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.3 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 10.5 | 11.4 |
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.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- 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.
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 North Fork, Nehalem River, 18.2 km (11.3 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cannon Beach, Oregon, closest first.
Natural Arch
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Ghost Town
State Park
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cannon Beach, Oregon?
What time is golden hour at Cannon Beach, Oregon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cannon Beach, Oregon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cannon Beach, Oregon?
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How far is Cannon Beach, Oregon from Cannon Beach?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service, 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.