Warrior Rock Light — a lighthouse in Columbia County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Saint Helens, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Warrior Rock Light lies SE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 8 m (26 ft). It dates from 1877.
Warrior Rock Light is a lighthouse on Sauvie Island in the U.S. state of Oregon, which helps guide river traffic on the Columbia River around the Portland, Oregon area. It once contained the Pacific Northwest's oldest fog bell. It is Oregon's smallest lighthouse, and the only lighthouse, or one of only two lighthouses, still operating in Oregon which are not on the Pacific Ocean, depending on whether the Umpqua River Lighthouse is considered to be on the coast or on the Umpqua River.From the Wikipedia article “Warrior Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Warrior Rock Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (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) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 54° NE | 9:06 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 124° SE | 4:30 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 41m |
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 Warrior Rock Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:43 PM – 2:33 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 11:18 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.36 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 | 62 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 93 | 100 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 87 | 67 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 15 | 22 | 27 | 33 | 39 | 45 | 44 | 36 | 24 | 15 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 8.6 | 9.7 |
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.
- 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 Saint Helens, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Warrior Rock Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
Beach
State Park
Waterfall
LakeWaterfall
Lake
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Warrior Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Warrior Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Warrior Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Warrior Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Warrior Rock Light?
How far is Warrior Rock Light from Saint Helens?
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.