Bowlers Rock Light — a lighthouse in Essex County, Virginia — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 15.1 km (9.4 mi) S of Warsaw. It dates from 1868.
The Bowlers Rock Light was a lighthouse located in the Rappahannock River in Virginia, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Bowlers Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bowlers Rock Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:52 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Bowlers Rock Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.33 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 66 | 68 | 75 | 85 | 92 | 95 | 99 | 97 | 92 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | 13 | 10 | 17 | 33 | 42 | 54 | 65 | 64 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Wares Wharf, 7.0 km (4.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bowlers Rock Light, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bowlers Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Bowlers Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bowlers Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bowlers Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bowlers Rock Light?
How far is Bowlers Rock Light from Warsaw?
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.