Located in Monterey County, California, Point Pinos Lighthouse is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Pacific Grove, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Point Pinos Lighthouse lies NW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 13 m (43 ft). It dates from 1855. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Point Pinos Lighthouse is an operational lighthouse located in Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, California, United States. Originally lit on February 1, 1855, it remains an active United States Coast Guard aid to navigation, and is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States. Automated in 1975, Port Pinos retains its original third order Fresnel lens, but is surrounded today by the Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Links. On-site museum exhibits and other lighthouse related functions are operated by the city of Pacific Grove, Monterey County.From the Wikipedia article “Point Pinos Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Point Pinos Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:30 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 40m |
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 Point Pinos Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. 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 6 (bright 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.5 | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.06 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). July 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 | 80 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 110 | 113 | 102 | 90 | 77 |
| Low °F | 20 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 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
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 MONTEREY, MONTEREY BAY, 4.7 km (2.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Point Pinos Lighthouse, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
Canyon
State Park
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Point Pinos Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Point Pinos Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Point Pinos Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Point Pinos Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Point Pinos Lighthouse?
How far is Point Pinos Lighthouse from Pacific Grove?
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.