Cape Flattery Light — a lighthouse in Clallam County, Washington — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 56 km (35 mi) NNW of Forks. It dates from 1854.
The Cape Flattery Light is a historic lighthouse structure located at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Neah Bay, Clallam County, in the U.S. state of Washington, within the Makah Indian Reservation. The deactivated lighthouse sits on Tatoosh Island, which is named after Chief Tatooche of the Makah Tribe. It is the northwesternmost lighthouse on the West Coast of the contiguous United States. Although closed to the public, it can be viewed from Cape Flattery via a short 30-minute walk.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Flattery Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Flattery Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 52° NE | 9:25 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:09 AM | 126° SE | 4:27 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 19m |
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 | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 46m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 13m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:23 PM | 10:05 PM | 16h 05m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:59 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 21m |
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 Cape Flattery Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:08 AM – 4:28 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:03 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:57 AM – 1:37 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:10 AM – 12:50 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:43 PM – 10:53 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 60% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 53 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 89 | 86 | 80 | 69 | 59 | 55 |
| Low °F | 13 | 19 | 24 | 31 | 35 | 42 | 46 | 46 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.9 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 7.3 | 11.0 | 9.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Tatoosh Island, Cape Flattery, 29 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cape Flattery Light, closest first.
Natural Arch
Waterfall
LighthouseLighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape Flattery Light?
What time is golden hour at Cape Flattery Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape Flattery Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Flattery Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Flattery Light?
How far is Cape Flattery Light from Forks?
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.