West Quoddy Head Light — a lighthouse in Washington County, Maine — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 10.3 km (6.4 mi) SSE of Eastport. Its recorded tower height is about 15 m (49 ft). It dates from 1808. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
West Quoddy Head, in Quoddy Head State Park, Lubec, Maine, is the easternmost point of the contiguous United States. In 1808 a lighthouse was constructed at the site to guide ships through the Quoddy Narrows. The current tower, with distinctive red-and-white stripes, was constructed in 1858 and is an active aid to navigation. The 3rd order Fresnel lens is the only 3rd order and one of only eight Fresnel lenses still in use on the Maine Coast. The light station was added to the National Register of Historic Places as West Quoddy Head Light Station on July 4, 1980.From the Wikipedia article “West Quoddy Head Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Quoddy Head 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) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:43 AM | 55° NE | 8:18 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:27 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 123° ESE | 3:50 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:14 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:26 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:43 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:05 AM | 4:42 AM | 5:27 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 4:21 AM | 4:57 AM | 5:40 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:10 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:01 PM | 4:33 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:00 PM | 3:48 PM | 4:22 PM | 8h 49m |
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 West Quoddy Head 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 | 4:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 3:50 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 2:47 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:21 PM – 8:51 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 January as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 56 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 62 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 69 | 65 | 63 | 60 |
| Low °F | 1 | 3 | 9 | 23 | 35 | 42 | 49 | 52 | 47 | 37 | 19 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 5.7 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 EASTPORT, 10.3 km (6.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of West Quoddy Head Light, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Quoddy Head Light?
What time is golden hour at West Quoddy Head Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Quoddy Head Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Quoddy Head Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Quoddy Head Light?
How far is West Quoddy Head Light from Eastport?
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.