Located in Hancock County, Maine, Egg Rock Light is a lighthouse. It lies in or next to Acadia National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) SE of Bar Harbor. Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It dates from 1875. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Egg Rock Light is a lighthouse on Frenchman Bay, Maine. Built in 1875, it is one of coastal Maine's architecturally unique lighthouses, with a square tower projecting through the square keeper's house. Located on Egg Rock, midway between Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula, it is an active aid to navigation, flashing red every 40 seconds. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Egg Rock Light Station in 1988.From the Wikipedia article “Egg Rock Light (Maine)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Egg Rock Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:37 AM | 90° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:49 AM | 55° NE | 8:21 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:20 AM | 89° E | 6:32 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 123° ESE | 3:57 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:33 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:12 AM | 4:49 AM | 5:33 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 4:28 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:51 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:05 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:38 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:07 PM | 3:55 PM | 4:28 PM | 8h 52m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Egg Rock Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 3:53 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 2:59 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:01 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 11:02 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 8:55 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). July 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 | 53 | 51 | 72 | 73 | 81 | 88 | 89 | 93 | 94 | 79 | 64 | 60 |
| Low °F | -19 | -19 | -13 | 15 | 29 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 6 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Winter Harbor, Frenchman Bay, 5.6 km (3.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Egg Rock Light, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Beach
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakScenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Lighthouse
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Schoodic Woods Campground6.4 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Blackwoods Campground7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Seawall Campground18.3 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Egg Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Egg Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Egg Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Egg Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Egg Rock Light?
How far is Egg Rock Light from Bar Harbor?
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.