Located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Bradford Beach is a beach. It sits roughly 3.3 km (2.1 mi) SSE of Shorewood.
Bradford Beach is a public beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The beach which was constructed in the 1920s is part of Lake Park; a mile (1.6 km)-long park on a bluff above Lake Michigan. Lake Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1993.From the Wikipedia article “Bradford Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bradford Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° ENE | 8:35 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Bradford Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 4:16 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:29 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:30 PM | 0.8 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 18.53 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 September as the clearest month (about 60% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 49 | 52 | 61 | 64 | 77 | 80 | 89 | 87 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 56 |
| Low °F | -11 | -8 | -3 | 23 | 34 | 40 | 53 | 55 | 46 | 34 | 18 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bradford Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bradford Beach?
What time is golden hour at Bradford Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bradford Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bradford Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bradford Beach?
How far is Bradford Beach from Shorewood?
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.