Alki Point Light — a lighthouse in King County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Seattle, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Alki Point Light lies WSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 11 m (36 ft). It dates from 1887.
The Alki Point Light is an active aid to navigation located on Puget Sound's Alki Point, the southern entrance to Seattle's Elliott Bay, King County, Washington. It is listed as Alki Point Light number 16915 in the USCG light lists.From the Wikipedia article “Alki Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alki Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 53° NE | 9:12 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 125° SE | 4:21 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 27m |
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 Alki Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:44 AM – 4:24 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:14 AM – 2:04 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:45 PM – 1:05 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 10:57 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 18.62 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 64 | 63 | 71 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 100 | 91 | 91 | 79 | 71 | 60 |
| Low °F | 13 | 15 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 40 | 46 | 46 | 39 | 28 | 16 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.7 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 6.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Lockheed Shipyard, Harbor Island, 4.5 km (2.8 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Alki Point Light, closest first.
Beach
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LighthouseLighthouse
Lake
Lighthouse
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alki Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Alki Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alki Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alki Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alki Point Light?
How far is Alki Point Light from Seattle?
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.