Holland Harbor Light — a lighthouse in Ottawa County, Michigan — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Beechwood, about 7.6 km (4.7 mi) away (Holland Harbor Light lies WSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 13 m (43 ft). It dates from 1872. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Holland Harbor Light, known as BIG RED, is located in Park Township, Michigan at the entrance of a channel connecting Lake Michigan with Lake Macatawa, and which gives access to the city of Holland, Michigan. The lighthouse is on the south side of the channel. There are two modern lights marking the ends of the breakwaters that extend out into the Lake Michigan beyond the lighthouse.From the Wikipedia article “Holland Harbor Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Holland Harbor Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:49 AM | 90° E | 7:57 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 56° ENE | 9:27 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:13 AM | 122° ESE | 5:15 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:42 AM | 8:13 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:08 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:35 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:01 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:19 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:37 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:55 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 03m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Holland Harbor Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:26 AM – 6:16 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:30 AM – 4:20 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:31 PM – 2:21 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 12:27 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:33 PM – 10:23 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.57 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 September as the clearest month (about 69% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (89%). 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 | 54 | 54 | 72 | 68 | 83 | 87 | 92 | 89 | 87 | 79 | 67 | 60 |
| Low °F | -2 | -4 | -1 | 23 | 31 | 38 | 49 | 51 | 46 | 34 | 19 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Holland Harbor Light, closest first.
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Ghost Town
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Holland Harbor Light?
What time is golden hour at Holland Harbor Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Holland Harbor Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Holland Harbor Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Holland Harbor Light?
How far is Holland Harbor Light from Beechwood?
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.