Stony Point Light is a lighthouse in Rockland County, New York. The nearest town is Verplanck, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Stony Point Light lies SW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 9 m (30 ft). It dates from 1826. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Stony Point Light is the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River. It is located at the Stony Point Battlefield in Stony Point, New York. The lighthouse was built in 1826 by Thomas Phillips, to warn ships away from the rocks of the Stony Point peninsula. The completion of the Erie Canal the previous year, which linked New York City to America's heartland, increased traffic on the Hudson River dramatically, and the need for navigational aids was paramount. Its design is an octagonal pyramid, made entirely of stone. In service for nearly 100 years, the lighthouse had a series of keepers, most notably the Rose family. The Rose home is also on the Historic Register. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1925 and was acquired by the parks commission in 1941. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.From the Wikipedia article “Stony Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stony 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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 57° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:31 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 38m |
| 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 | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Stony 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:41 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:41 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.59 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 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 91 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 102 | 96 | 88 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -16 | -15 | -8 | 18 | 30 | 38 | 49 | 50 | 37 | 21 | 6 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
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.
- 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 Haverstraw, 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Stony Point Light, closest first.
State Park
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Ghost Town
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Mountain Peak
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State Park
Waterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stony Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Stony Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stony Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stony Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stony Point Light?
How far is Stony Point Light from Verplanck?
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.