Piney Point Light is a lighthouse in Saint Mary's County, Maryland. It sits roughly 16.0 km (9.9 mi) SSW of Lexington Park. It dates from 1836. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Piney Point Lighthouse was built in 1836 located at Piney Point on the Potomac River in Maryland just up the river from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The Coast Guard decommissioned it in 1964 and it has since become a museum. It is known as the Lighthouse of Presidents because several early US Presidents visited or stayed on the grounds.From the Wikipedia article “Piney Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Piney Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Piney Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.05 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 71 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 101 | 100 | 94 | 93 | 75 | 72 |
| Low °F | 7 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 38 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Piney Point, Md., 399 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Piney Point Light, closest first.
Beach
LighthouseBeachBeach
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pax River Paradise Grove Campgrounds22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Pax River Hog Point Campgrounds22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Piney Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Piney Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Piney Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Piney Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Piney Point Light?
How far is Piney Point Light from Lexington Park?
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.