Located in Lincoln County, Oregon, Cleft of the Rock Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 15.5 km (9.6 mi) SSW of Waldport. Its recorded tower height is about 11 m (36 ft).
Cleft of the Rock Light is a privately owned lighthouse located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of Oregon, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) south of Yachats on Cape Perpetua. It was built, in 1976, by former Tillamook Rock Light attendant and lighthouse historian James A. Gibbs who was active in preserving the lantern room of Smith Island Light. Cleft of the Rock Light is designed after Fiddle Reef Light, which operated from 1898 to 1958 in Oak Bay, British Columbia, a suburb of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The Cleft's tower contains a stair railing from the original keeper's dwelling at Yaquina Head Light. Other historic items include a stopwatch from Desdemona Sands Light, two brass oil cans from Tillamook Rock Light and Heceta Head Light, and a crank handle which wound the weights at Point Sur Light. It also has two fourth order Fresnel lenses. The Coast Guard made it an official...From the Wikipedia article “Cleft of the Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cleft of the Rock Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 55° NE | 9:05 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 123° ESE | 4:41 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Cleft of the Rock Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:06 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:12 AM – 3:42 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:29 PM – 2:59 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:14 PM – 1:44 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:45 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 65% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 60 | 61 | 68 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 68 | 71 | 67 | 62 | 60 |
| Low °F | 32 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 49 | 50 | 52 | 50 | 39 | 35 | 30 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Waldport, Alsea Bay, 16.5 km (10.3 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cleft of the Rock Light, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Wilderness Area
State Park
State Park
State Park
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cape Perpetua1.3 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Tillicum8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Rock Creek Oregon Coast (Siuslaw National Forest, Or)11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Canal Creek18.6 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Horse Creek Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cleft of the Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Cleft of the Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cleft of the Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cleft of the Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cleft of the Rock Light?
How far is Cleft of the Rock Light from Waldport?
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.