Located in Nassau County, New York, Stepping Stones Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 2.7 km (1.7 mi) SSE of City Island. Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (46 ft). It dates from 1877. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stepping Stones Light is a Victorian-style lighthouse in Long Island Sound, in Nassau County, New York. The lighthouse is square-shaped and made of red brick, standing one-and-a-half stories high. The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse is a virtual twin of this structure. The light is currently in use under the management of the United States Coast Guard. It is not open to the public. The reef upon which it sits was given its name by Siwanoy (Minnefords) Native American legends. According to the legend, the tribe used warriors, medicine, and magic to chase the devil out of present-day Westchester County, New York onto City Island (formerly Greater Minneford Island), surrounding him at Belden Point. The devil then picked up huge boulders lying there and tossed them into Long Island Sound, using them as stepping stones to make his escape. The natives named the rocks "The Devil's Stepping Stones".From the Wikipedia article “Stepping Stones Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stepping Stones 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 121° ESE | 4:31 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 | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 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 Stepping Stones 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:38 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:48 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:49 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 7:47 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 ≈ 17.77 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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Kings Point, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Stepping Stones Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
BeachLighthouse
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
BeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stepping Stones Light?
What time is golden hour at Stepping Stones Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stepping Stones Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stepping Stones Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stepping Stones Light?
How far is Stepping Stones Light from City Island?
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.