Located in Thurston County, Washington, Dofflemyer Point Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Olympia, about 10.6 km (6.6 mi) away (Dofflemyer Point Light lies N of town). It dates from 1887. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Dofflemyer Point Lighthouse is a U.S. lighthouse in Boston Harbor, Washington, and was one of the first in the state of Washington to be automated. It sits at the northeastern entrance to Budd Inlet north of Olympia. It is the southernmost light in Puget Sound and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Dofflemyer Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dofflemyer 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) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 53° NE | 9:12 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 125° SE | 4:25 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 31m |
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 Dofflemyer Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 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 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:25 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 3:13 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:10 AM – 2:10 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:44 PM – 1:04 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 11:08 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.17 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
- 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 Dofflemeyer Point, Boston Hbr., Budd Inlet, 350 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Dofflemyer Point Light, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dofflemyer Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Dofflemyer Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dofflemyer Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dofflemyer Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dofflemyer Point Light?
How far is Dofflemyer Point Light from Olympia?
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.