Little River Light — a lighthouse in Washington County, Maine — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Machiasport, about 16.9 km (10.5 mi) away (Little River Light lies ESE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It dates from 1846. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Little River Light is a lighthouse on an island at the mouth of the Little River, in Cutler, Maine. A light station was first established at this site in 1846, and the present structure was built in 1876. It is one of the only iron lighthouses in the state, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Little River Light Station on March 14, 1988. The light station is now owned by the American Lighthouse Foundation, which offers overnight stays in the keeper's house, and occasional tours of the property.From the Wikipedia article “Little River Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little River 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) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:44 AM | 55° NE | 8:18 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 123° ESE | 3:52 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:47 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:15 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:28 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:44 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:07 AM | 4:44 AM | 5:28 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 4:23 AM | 4:58 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:10 AM | 3:18 PM | 4:02 PM | 4:34 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:02 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:23 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Little River Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 3:51 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 2:48 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 12:52 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 10:51 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 8:52 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 54 | 51 | 59 | 59 | 69 | 76 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 70 | 63 | 57 |
| Low °F | -5 | -6 | 2 | 21 | 35 | 42 | 51 | 51 | 43 | 32 | 14 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.9 |
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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Cutler, Little River, 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Little River Light, closest first.
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State Park
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little River Light?
What time is golden hour at Little River Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little River Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little River Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little River Light?
How far is Little River Light from Machiasport?
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.