Located in Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska, Ocean Cape Light is a lighthouse.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ocean Cape Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 36° (NE) at the June solstice and 140° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 324° (NW) in June to 221° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:01 AM | 36° NE | 10:43 PM | 324° NW | 54° | 18h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 88° E | 7:21 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:18 AM | 140° SE | 3:19 PM | 221° SW | 7° | 6h 01m |
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
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:12 AM | 9:04 AM | 10:34 AM | 2:25 PM | 3:55 PM | 4:47 PM | 6h 51m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:10 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 16m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:19 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 31m |
| May | 3:44 AM | 4:45 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:48 PM | 10:50 PM | 17h 03m |
| June | 2:28 AM | 4:01 AM | 5:19 AM | 9:23 PM | 10:40 PM | 12:14 AM | 18h 39m |
| July | 3:14 AM | 4:28 AM | 5:40 AM | 9:12 PM | 10:24 PM | 11:38 PM | 17h 56m |
| August | 4:47 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:13 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 35m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 53m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:57 AM | 5:15 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 15m |
| November | 7:28 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:33 AM | 2:37 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:42 PM | 7h 39m |
| December | 8:17 AM | 9:13 AM | 11:07 AM | 1:24 PM | 3:18 PM | 4:14 PM | 6h 04m |
Local time (America/Yakutat), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 73% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). July 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 | 44 | 41 | 53 | 61 | 68 | 74 | 76 | 80 | 65 | 57 | 48 | 44 |
| Low °F | -5 | 0 | -4 | 11 | 26 | 36 | 42 | 42 | 35 | 20 | 4 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.4 | 12.2 | 8.6 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 12.6 | 16.5 | 16.5 | 14.4 | 15.6 |
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 lighthouse
- Many lighthouses are on private or Coast Guard property — check public access and opening hours.
- Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Yakutat, Yakutat Bay, 7.0 km (4.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Raven Cabin19.4 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Cabin19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Situk Lake Cabin29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ocean Cape Light?
What time is golden hour at Ocean Cape Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ocean Cape Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ocean Cape Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ocean Cape Light?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.