Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch — a lighthouse in Whatcom County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.4 km (0.9 mi) SSW of Point Roberts.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch 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 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 64° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 52° NE | 9:21 PM | 309° NW | 64° | 16h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:04 AM | 126° SE | 4:18 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:54 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:19 PM | 10:02 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 48m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 10m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:56 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 4:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:12 AM – 2:52 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:02 AM – 2:32 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:13 AM – 12:43 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:40 PM – 10:40 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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 | 53 | 55 | 65 | 76 | 81 | 85 | 93 | 87 | 82 | 70 | 60 | 56 |
| Low °F | 14 | 19 | 24 | 32 | 36 | 43 | 47 | 47 | 42 | 32 | 15 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 7.7 | 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 POINT ROBERTS, PUGET SOUND, 195 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch?
What time is golden hour at Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch?
How far is Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch from Point Roberts?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.