Located in San Mateo County, California, Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Boulder Creek, about 25 km (15 mi) away (Pigeon Point Lighthouse lies WNW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 35 m (115 ft). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pigeon Point Light Station or Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse (tied with Point Arena Light) on the West Coast of the United States. It is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Pigeon Point Light Station is located on the coastal highway (State Route 1), 5 miles (8 km) south of Pescadero, California, between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The 115-foot (35 m), white masonry tower, resembles the typical New England structure. The lighthouse and the land around have been preserved as Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, a California state park. The lighthouse is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated as a California Historical Landmark. The lighthouse is currently undergoing major renovations funded by the California state legislature...From the Wikipedia article “Pigeon Point Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pigeon Point Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Pigeon Point Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:16 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:30 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.38 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (59%). September is the warmest month and January 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 | 67 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 88 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 84 | 78 | 65 |
| Low °F | 36 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 47 | 39 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 4.4 |
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 lighthouse
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Ano Nuevo Island, 9.5 km (5.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pigeon Point Lighthouse, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
Lighthouse
LighthouseWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pigeon Point Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Pigeon Point Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pigeon Point Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pigeon Point Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pigeon Point Lighthouse?
How far is Pigeon Point Lighthouse from Boulder Creek?
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.