Montauk Point Light is a lighthouse in Suffolk County, New York. It sits roughly 9.0 km (5.6 mi) ENE of Montauk. Its recorded tower height is about 34 m (112 ft). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Montauk Point Light, or Montauk Point Lighthouse, is a lighthouse located adjacent to Montauk Point State Park at the easternmost point of Long Island in Montauk, New York. The lighthouse was the first to be built within the state of New York. It is the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the United States. Montauk Point Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark for its significance to New York and international shipping in the early Federal period. The lighthouse, which is located on Turtle Hill at the easternmost tip of Long Island, at 2000 Montauk Highway, is a privately run museum, and is not part of Montauk Point State Park.From the Wikipedia article “Montauk Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Montauk Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:24 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 121° ESE | 4:23 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 13m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 14m |
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 Montauk Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:25 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 3:32 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 1:40 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 11:41 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:42 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 7:39 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: 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 ≈ 20.79 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 August as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 58 | 54 | 67 | 82 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 65 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 9 | 24 | 36 | 44 | 54 | 55 | 47 | 31 | 17 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Lake Montauk, 6.5 km (4.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Montauk Point Light, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Lake
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Montauk Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Montauk Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Montauk Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Montauk Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Montauk Point Light?
How far is Montauk Point Light from Montauk?
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.