Located in Charleston County, South Carolina, Sullivan's Island Range Lights is a lighthouse. It lies in or next to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) WSW of Sullivans Island. It dates from 1848.
The Sullivan's Island Range Lights were range lights on the southern end of Sullivan's Island in Charleston County, South Carolina. The light station was first established in 1848 and was destroyed in 1861 during the Civil War. It was rebuilt after the war and the lights were in existence at least as late as 1901. Neither of the range lights still remains today. Sullivan's Island is a barrier island at the northern entrance to the Charleston harbor. The entire island is now the Town of Sullivan's Island. It is the location of Fort Moultrie and the current Charleston Light.From the Wikipedia article “Sullivan's Island Range Lights”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sullivan's Island Range Lights the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 61° ENE | 8:31 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 118° ESE | 5:18 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Sullivan's Island Range Lights, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:59 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:55 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 4:36 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:55 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:00 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:59 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 18.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 72 | 71 | 72 | 79 | 83 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 83 | 79 | 75 |
| Low °F | 32 | 37 | 41 | 49 | 58 | 68 | 76 | 74 | 65 | 53 | 46 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 The Cove, Fort Moultrie, 923 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sullivan's Island Range Lights, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
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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.