Fort Niagara Light is a lighthouse in Niagara County, New York. It is part of Fort Niagara State Park. It sits roughly 1.9 km (1.2 mi) NW of Youngstown. It dates from 1872. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Niagara Light is an inactive lighthouse on the Niagara River on the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York state. It is located on the grounds of Fort Niagara. This light house is complimented by two range lights in Niagara-on-the-Lake built on 1904.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Niagara Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Niagara Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 56° NE | 9:01 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 122° ESE | 4:44 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 7:46 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Fort Niagara Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:02 AM – 4:42 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 3:08 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:45 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.11 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 60% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 53 | 52 | 68 | 66 | 83 | 87 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 78 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -3 | -9 | -7 | 14 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 52 | 41 | 30 | 19 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Fort Niagara Light, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
Canyon
State Park
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Niagara Light?
What time is golden hour at Fort Niagara Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Niagara Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Niagara Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Niagara Light?
How far is Fort Niagara Light from Youngstown?
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.