Ophir Beach — a beach in Curry County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gold Beach, about 16.0 km (9.9 mi) away (Ophir Beach lies N of town).
Ophir Beach is an undeveloped sandy beach on the Oregon Coast seven miles north of Gold Beach in Curry County, United States. It is more than 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) in length with the south end at Nesika Beach and the north end at a cape named the Devils Backbone. The beach is bounded by U.S. Route 101 on the east. Euchre Creek flows westward to the ocean cutting through the northern third of the beach. There is a state maintained safety rest area at Ophir Beach with picnic tables and restrooms. This beach is sometimes referred to as Nesika Beach.From the Wikipedia article “Ophir Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ophir Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 57° ENE | 8:59 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 122° ESE | 4:48 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Ophir Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:52 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:59 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 65 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 80 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | 26 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 49 | 44 | 39 | 33 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 12.2 |
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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Wedderburn, Rogue River, 13.1 km (8.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ophir Beach, closest first.
Beach
State Park
Wilderness Area
Rock Formation
Natural Arch
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Of The Woods Lookout22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Sixes River Campground Or29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Foster Bar Campground29 km (18 mi)
- Edson Creek Campground (Or)30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Snow Camp Lookout30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ophir Beach?
What time is golden hour at Ophir Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ophir Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ophir Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ophir Beach?
How far is Ophir Beach from Gold Beach?
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.