Dutch Gap Canal Lights is a lighthouse in Henrico County, Virginia. The nearest town is Enon, about 6.0 km (3.7 mi) away (Dutch Gap Canal Lights lies NNW of town). It dates from 1875.
The Dutch Gap Canal Lights were built to mark the ends of Dutch Gap Canal, now called Dutch Gap Cutoff, which is a 3⁄4 nautical mile (1.4 km; 0.86 mi) cut across the base of an oxbow in the James River between Hopewell and Richmond, Virginia. They were on Farrar's Island, on the south side of the river. The first two structures were small wood frame towers similar in design to the Jordan Point Light, together with a keeper's house, which were built in 1875. The second tower washed away in December 1878; the first had been lost earlier. Both were replaced by lights on posts. The keeper's house was threatened by erosion of the cliff and was moved inland in 1890. In 1910 the lights were replaced by fixed lights. Their function survives, in modern form, as lights on skeleton towers, both with the characteristic Quick Flashing Green, numbers "151" and "155", Light List numbers 2-12705...From the Wikipedia article “Dutch Gap Canal Lights”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dutch Gap Canal Lights the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Dutch Gap Canal Lights, 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 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.93 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 November as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 75 | 77 | 83 | 95 | 98 | 102 | 107 | 105 | 100 | 100 | 81 | 76 |
| Low °F | 3 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 35 | 46 | 54 | 53 | 42 | 29 | 20 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 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
- 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 Chester, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Dutch Gap Canal Lights, closest first.
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National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dutch Gap Canal Lights?
What time is golden hour at Dutch Gap Canal Lights?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dutch Gap Canal Lights?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dutch Gap Canal Lights?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dutch Gap Canal Lights?
How far is Dutch Gap Canal Lights from Enon?
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.