Lighthouse Beach — a beach in Coos County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Barview, about 4.6 km (2.9 mi) away (Lighthouse Beach lies WSW of town).
Lighthouse Beach is a beach in Coos County, Oregon, United States. It is located between Yoakam Point State Natural Site to the north and Cape Arago Lighthouse to the south, in the unincorporated community of Charleston.From the Wikipedia article “Lighthouse Beach (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lighthouse Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 56° NE | 9:02 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 122° ESE | 4:45 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Lighthouse Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:06 AM – 3:46 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:19 PM – 3:09 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:51 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:46 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.51 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 64% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 61 | 65 | 67 | 75 | 75 | 79 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 78 | 65 | 62 |
| Low °F | 31 | 30 | 35 | 37 | 41 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 33 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 9.9 |
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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is CHARLESTON, 3.7 km (2.3 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lighthouse Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Horsfall Beach14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Wild Mare Horse Camp14.9 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Bluebill Campground15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Horsfall Sand Camping15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Horsfall 15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lighthouse Beach?
What time is golden hour at Lighthouse Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lighthouse Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lighthouse Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lighthouse Beach?
How far is Lighthouse Beach from Barview?
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.