Destruction Island Light — a lighthouse in Jefferson County, Washington — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Forks, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Destruction Island Light lies SSW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 29 m (95 ft). It dates from 1891.
Destruction Island Lighthouse is a decommissioned lighthouse on Destruction Island, a rocky island that is part of the Quillayute Needles National Wildlife Refuge lying about 3 miles (4.8 km) off the coast of Jefferson County, Washington, in the northwest of the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Destruction Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Destruction Island 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 308° (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) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 53° NE | 9:20 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:05 AM | 125° SE | 4:29 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 25m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 58m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:54 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:03 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 Destruction Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:53 AM – 4:23 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:54 AM – 3:14 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:28 AM – 2:08 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:57 PM – 1:07 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:37 PM – 11:07 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: 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 ≈ 21.81 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 September as the clearest month (about 62% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (84%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 55 | 60 | 64 | 70 | 73 | 77 | 80 | 80 | 84 | 69 | 61 | 57 |
| Low °F | 22 | 24 | 33 | 35 | 40 | 46 | 49 | 50 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 13.9 | 8.1 | 10.5 | 6.7 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 4.1 | 9.3 | 14.2 | 12.9 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Destruction Island, 984 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Destruction Island Light, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Beach
Scenic Viewpoint
Beach
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Destruction Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Destruction Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Destruction Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Destruction Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Destruction Island Light?
How far is Destruction Island 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.