Wood End Light — a lighthouse in Barnstable County, Massachusetts — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Provincetown, about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) away (Wood End Light lies S of town). Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It dates from 1864. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wood End Light Lookout Station is a historic lighthouse, located at the southwest end of Long Point in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It is located at Wood End, near the southernmost extent of the Provincetown Spit, and acts as a navigational aid to vessels on their approach to Provincetown Harbor. The Long Point Light Station, further down the peninsula at the tip of Long Point is an identical design and completed in 1875, three years after Wood End Light. The light was first illuminated on November 20, 1872, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. In 1981, Wood End Light became the first Massachusetts lighthouse to be converted to use solar energy to power the light and fog signal equipment. In 1896 a wooden keeper's house was built, as well as a storage shed and oil house. With the changing times and no need to man the light station, it was decided in 1961 to...From the Wikipedia article “Wood End Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wood End Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 57° ENE | 8:21 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 122° ESE | 4:13 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:43 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Wood End Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:13 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:22 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 9:28 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.61 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 58 | 56 | 67 | 76 | 79 | 84 | 88 | 89 | 86 | 77 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | -1 | -1 | 8 | 27 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 56 | 49 | 36 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Provincetown, 3.3 km (2.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Wood End Light, closest first.
Ghost Town
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Lighthouse
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Beach
LighthouseBeachBeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Highland Beach Suites, Unit 110.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Highland Beach Suites, Unit 210.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Highland Beach Suites, Unit 310.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Bay View House12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Ocean View House21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wood End Light?
What time is golden hour at Wood End Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wood End Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wood End Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wood End Light?
How far is Wood End Light from Provincetown?
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.