Trinity Shoal Light is a lighthouse in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. The nearest town is Abbeville, about 86 km (54 mi) away (Trinity Shoal Light lies S of town).
The Trinity Shoal Light was a planned lighthouse meant to be constructed on Trinity Shoal in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana. Had it been completed, the skeleton tower would have been among the most exposed lighthouses in the United States. Funds were appropriated for the lighthouse by the U. S. Congress in 1871, but construction progressed slowly. The site was some 20 miles (32 km) away from the nearest land, and contractors had great difficulty in laying the foundation for a tower. It was decided that workers would be housed in a shelter on a platform on the site; this was finally completed in 1873 and work began in earnest.From the Wikipedia article “Trinity Shoal Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trinity Shoal Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:11 AM | 62° ENE | 8:12 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 117° ESE | 5:16 PM | 244° WSW | 37° | 10h 16m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 29m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:26 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:23 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 36m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 00m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 50m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 12m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 42m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 17m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Trinity Shoal Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 32° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:34 PM – 4:44 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 4:26 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 3:03 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:16 PM – 1:06 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 11:05 PM | 2.5 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:59 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). August 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 | 71 | 74 | 77 | 80 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 94 | 92 | 86 | 81 | 74 |
| Low °F | 26 | 29 | 36 | 44 | 56 | 71 | 75 | 71 | 64 | 51 | 37 | 35 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 5.1 |
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
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trinity Shoal Light?
What time is golden hour at Trinity Shoal Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trinity Shoal Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trinity Shoal Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trinity Shoal Light?
How far is Trinity Shoal Light from Abbeville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.