Cape Meares Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Tillamook County, Oregon. The nearest town is Bay City, about 8.0 km (5.0 mi) away (Cape Meares Lighthouse lies WSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 38 m (125 ft). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cape Meares Light is an inactive lighthouse on the coast of Oregon. It is located on Cape Meares just south of Tillamook Bay. It is open to the public.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Meares Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Meares Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 55° NE | 9:09 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 124° ESE | 4:36 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 42m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 20m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 44m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Meares Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:21 AM – 4:31 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:21 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:27 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.56 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 July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 57 | 59 | 66 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 87 | 79 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 39 | 31 | 24 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.3 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 10.5 | 11.4 |
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 Dick Point, 6.0 km (3.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cape Meares Lighthouse, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- East Dunes Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Sandbeach Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape Meares Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Cape Meares Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape Meares Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Meares Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Meares Lighthouse?
How far is Cape Meares Lighthouse from Bay City?
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.