Barnegat Lighthouse — a lighthouse in Ocean County, New Jersey — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. It sits roughly 8.2 km (5.1 mi) ESE of Waretown. Its recorded tower height is about 52 m (171 ft). It dates from 1835. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Barnegat Lighthouse (or Barnegat Light, locally nicknamed Old Barney) is a historic lighthouse located in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on the northern tip of Long Beach Island, in the borough of Barnegat Light, Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, on the south side of Barnegat Inlet.From the Wikipedia article “Barnegat Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Barnegat Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 58° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 121° ESE | 4:36 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Barnegat Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:10 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.08 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 (62%). 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 | 64 | 62 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 88 | 84 | 71 | 67 |
| Low °F | 6 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 37 | 49 | 58 | 58 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Barnegat Inlet, USCG Station, 552 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Barnegat Lighthouse, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Barnegat Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Barnegat Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Barnegat Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Barnegat Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Barnegat Lighthouse?
How far is Barnegat Lighthouse from Waretown?
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.