Located in Tillamook County, Oregon, Bayocean is a ghost town. It sits roughly 4.9 km (3.0 mi) W of Bay City.
Bayocean was a community in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. Sometimes known as "the town that fell into the sea", it was a planned resort community founded in 1906 on Tillamook Spit, a small stretch of land that forms one wall of Tillamook Bay. Bayocean's post office was established on February 4, 1909, and by 1914, the town's population was 2,000. Only a few decades later however, Bayocean had become a ghost town, having had many of its attractions destroyed by "man-induced" coastal erosion. The town's unforeseen destruction is believed by many to have been caused by the residents themselves.From the Wikipedia article “Bayocean, Oregon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bayocean the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) 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 | 7:28 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 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 124° SE | 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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| 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 | 5:01 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 | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:49 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 | 9:03 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 | 8:40 AM | 3:44 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 Bayocean, 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 ≈ 21.56 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 ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bayocean, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
Beach
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Natural Arch
State Park
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- East Dunes Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Sandbeach Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bayocean?
What time is golden hour at Bayocean?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bayocean?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bayocean?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bayocean?
How far is Bayocean 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.