Located in Tillamook County, Oregon, Short Beach is a beach. The nearest town is Bay City, about 8.0 km (5.0 mi) away (Short Beach lies SW of town).
Short Beach is a 1,000-meter stretch of beach on the northern Oregon Coast in the United States. Locals guess that both the beach and the creek that runs onto it—Short Creek, several miles in length—were named after an early resident of the area. Just south of Cape Meares State Park, and a bit north of Oceanside, the beach is hidden from the land except for a brief stretch of road which crosses the dam across Short Creek. The seasonal Short Beach Other attractions are the mussels, which can be gathered from offshore rocks at low tides, surf fishing, and beach fires. An occasional surfer may be seen, as well as paragliders who, now that there is safe access, sometimes land on the beach. Offshore, and partly onshore, are a number of rocks belonging to the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. In recent years, both these and the higher land around Short Beach have suffered...From the Wikipedia article “Short Beach (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Short Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (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) | 5:28 AM | 55° NE | 9:09 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 124° ESE | 4:36 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 42m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 20m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 08m |
| 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 | 8:13 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 44m |
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 Short Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:21 AM – 4:31 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:21 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:27 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.52 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 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
- 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 Dick Point, 5.1 km (3.2 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Short Beach, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
State Park
Natural Arch
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- East Dunes Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Sandbeach Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Short Beach?
What time is golden hour at Short Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Short Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Short Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Short Beach?
How far is Short Beach from Bay City?
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.