Farallon Island Light — a lighthouse in City and County of San Francisco, California at about 61 m (200 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The nearest town is Bolinas, about 36 km (23 mi) away (Farallon Island Light lies SW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It dates from 1855.
Farallon Island Light is a lighthouse on Southeast Farallon Island, California. One of the highest lights in California, it was constructed in 1855 to warn ships approaching San Francisco from the west away from the rocky islands. In later years it was shorn of its lantern, but it remains in use.From the Wikipedia article “Farallon Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Farallon Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:57 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Farallon Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.83 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (71%). September is the warmest month and April 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 | 63 | 60 | 60 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 65 | 67 | 67 | 63 | 63 |
| Low °F | 44 | 45 | 45 | 47 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 49 | 46 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 4.1 |
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
- 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.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Southeast Farallon Island, 187 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Farallon Island Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Natural ArchNatural ArchFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Farallon Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Farallon Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Farallon Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Farallon Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Farallon Island Light?
How far is Farallon Island Light from Bolinas?
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.