Two Harbors Breakwater Light — a lighthouse in Lake County, Minnesota — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Two Harbors, about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) away (Two Harbors Breakwater Light lies S of town). Its recorded tower height is about 8 m (25 ft). It dates from 1897.
The Two Harbors Breakwater Light is a lighthouse located at the end of the breakwater enclosing the eastern end of Agate Bay and defining the harbor at Two Harbors, Minnesota.From the Wikipedia article “Two Harbors Breakwater Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Two Harbors Breakwater Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 53° NE | 9:06 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 125° SE | 4:21 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 30m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 32m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Two Harbors Breakwater Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:35 AM – 3:05 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:00 AM – 2:10 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:35 PM – 1:05 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 11:02 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.66 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 62% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 41 | 44 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 85 | 95 | 91 | 87 | 78 | 66 | 45 |
| Low °F | -29 | -25 | -23 | 8 | 23 | 32 | 42 | 40 | 30 | 17 | -5 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Two Harbors Breakwater Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Two Harbors Breakwater Light?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Two Harbors Breakwater Light?
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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.