Jeffrey's Hook Light is a lighthouse in New York County, New York. The nearest town is Washington Heights, about 1.0 km (0.6 mi) away (Jeffrey's Hook Light lies W of town). Its recorded tower height is about 40 m (131 ft). It dates from 1921. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Little Red Lighthouse, officially Jeffrey's Hook Light, is a small lighthouse located in Fort Washington Park along the Hudson River in Manhattan, New York City, under the George Washington Bridge. It was made notable by the 1942 children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge, written by Hildegarde Swift and illustrated by Lynd Ward. The lighthouse stands on Jeffrey's Hook, a small point of land that supports the base of the eastern pier of the bridge, which connects Washington Heights in Manhattan to Fort Lee, New Jersey.From the Wikipedia article “Little Red Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jeffrey's Hook Light 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:32 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Jeffrey's Hook Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:39 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:47 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:49 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.5 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 60 | 58 | 63 | 77 | 80 | 87 | 94 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 69 | 64 |
| Low °F | 8 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 59 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Dyckman Street, Ferry Slip, 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Jeffrey's Hook Light, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Fire Lookout
Botanical Garden
Lake
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Lake
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Camp Gateway- Brooklyn Ny29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Camp Gateway - Staten Island29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jeffrey's Hook Light?
What time is golden hour at Jeffrey's Hook Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jeffrey's Hook Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jeffrey's Hook Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jeffrey's Hook Light?
How far is Jeffrey's Hook Light from Washington Heights?
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.