Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — a lighthouse in Dare County, North Carolina — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) SSE of Buxton. Its recorded tower height is about 210 m (689 ft). It dates from 1870. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cape Hatteras Light is a lighthouse located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks in the town of Buxton, North Carolina originally established in 1802, with the present lighthouse completed in 1870 and physically relocated once, in 1999, due to coastal erosion. It is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It is the tallest lighthouse in the U.S. from base to tip at 210 feet. The lighthouse's semi-unique pattern makes it easy to recognize and famous. It is often ranked high on lists of most beautiful, and famous lighthouses in the US.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Hatteras Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Hatteras Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 60° ENE | 8:21 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 119° ESE | 4:54 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:54 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 4:09 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:02 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 70 | 69 | 70 | 76 | 84 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 87 | 83 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | 25 | 22 | 32 | 43 | 49 | 63 | 70 | 71 | 62 | 47 | 38 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 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
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Cape Hatteras, 2.2 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 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, closest first.
Lighthouse
BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachBeachBeachBeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
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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.