Located in San Juan County, Washington, Cattle Point Light is a lighthouse. It lies in or next to San Juan Island National Historical Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 10.1 km (6.3 mi) SSE of Friday Harbor. Its recorded tower height is about 10 m (33 ft). It dates from 1888.
Cattle Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the southeastern tip of San Juan Island overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca where the Haro Straits meet the San Juan Channel, in San Juan County, Washington. The light lies adjacent to the state's Cattle Point Natural Resources Conservation Area and, since 2013, is part of the San Juan Islands National Monument.From the Wikipedia article “Cattle Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
From the National Park Service
As you travel through our American Camp Unit on Cattle Point Road, the road narrows as you pass the Redoubt and the American Camp prairie. The views open up, providing a stunning place to watch sunsets and observe the Salish Sea . As you reach the park’s southern boundary, the road drops sharply in one of the steepest grades on the island; at the bottom of that steep hill is the Cattle Point lighthouse, a beacon which has been guiding mariners since 1935.
The first navigational aid at this site was erected in 1888, when a lens-lantern was placed near the site of the present day lighthouse. This light was maintained by the Jakle family, who were descended from an American Camp soldier and who homesteaded on our island at today's American Camp. A state-of-the-art (for the 1920s) radio-compass station was built here in 1921. The picturesque lighthouse, which is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Washington, followed in 1935
Today, Cattle Point is a part of San Juan Islands National Monument , which is a part of the Bureau of Land Management. The lighthouse is part of a natural area, where soaring bluffs provide majestic views of the seascape below. Visitors can walk down a steep and primitive trail to a rocky beach with excellent tide pools below the lighthouse. Eagles, foxes, and wildflowers are also found at and around the lighthouse; enjoy their company, but practice Leave No Trace principles and keep a 75 foot distance from wild animals and refrain from picking wildflowers during your visit.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cattle Point 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 234° (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) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 52° NE | 9:18 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 126° SE | 4:20 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 18m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 46m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 13m |
| June | 4:29 AM | 5:10 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:58 PM | 16h 05m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 20m |
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 Cattle Point 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| 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 | 4:01 AM – 4:21 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:56 AM – 2:56 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:50 AM – 1:30 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:03 AM – 12:43 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 10:46 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.45 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 July as the clearest month (about 44% 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 | 58 | 68 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 78 | 64 | 58 |
| Low °F | 10 | 15 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 6.7 |
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.
- 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.
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 Richardson, Lopez Island, 4.7 km (2.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cattle Point Light, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cattle Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Cattle Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cattle Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cattle Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cattle Point Light?
How far is Cattle Point Light from Friday Harbor?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, National Park Service, 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.