Point No Point Light at Puget Sound, Washington, USA
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47.9123° N122.5267° W1 mBortle 5Los Angeles

Point No Point Light Photography Guide

Lighthouse in Kitsap County, Washington · 1 m (3 ft)

  • Bortle 5 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 235°–308°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Apr–Jul
Photo: Jan Tik · CC BY 2.0 · source

Located in Kitsap County, Washington, Point No Point Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 2.2 km (1.4 mi) ESE of Hansville. Its recorded tower height is about 9 m (30 ft). It dates from 1879. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Point No Point Light is an operational aid to navigation on the northeastern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula on the west side of Puget Sound, at Point No Point where Admiralty Inlet joins Puget Sound, near the small community of Hansville, Kitsap County, in the U.S. state of Washington. Point No Point Light is considered the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Point No Point Light (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elevation
1 m
3 ft
Nearest town
Hansville
2.2 km (1.4 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 5
Suburban sky
Clearest month
July
46% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
1.3 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:41 PM
sunset 6:23 PM

Light at Point No Point Light

Live
Sunrise
7:37 AM
Sunset
6:14 PM
Golden hour AM
7:18 AM – 8:20 AM
Golden hour PM
5:31 PM – 6:33 PM
Blue hour AM
7:06 AM – 7:18 AM
Blue hour PM
6:33 PM – 6:45 PM
Full darkness
7:57 PM – 5:55 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:56 PM / 1:12 AM
Day length
10h 36m
Sunrise azimuth
105°
Sunset azimuth
255°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Point No 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 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:14 AM89° E7:23 PM271° W42°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:12 AM53° NE9:14 PM308° NW66°16h 02m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:58 AM89° E7:10 PM271° W42°12h 12m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:58 AM125° SE4:20 PM235° SW19°8h 23m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:20 AM7:55 AM8:46 AM3:54 PM4:45 PM5:20 PM8h 50m
February6:45 AM7:17 AM8:01 AM4:49 PM5:33 PM6:05 PM10h 16m
March6:53 AM7:24 AM8:05 AM6:35 PM7:16 PM7:47 PM11h 52m
April5:49 AM6:21 AM7:03 AM7:18 PM8:00 PM8:33 PM13h 39m
May4:56 AM5:32 AM6:18 AM7:57 PM8:42 PM9:19 PM15h 10m
June4:30 AM5:11 AM6:00 AM8:23 PM9:12 PM9:53 PM16h 00m
July4:48 AM5:27 AM6:14 AM8:19 PM9:06 PM9:45 PM15h 39m
August5:32 AM6:06 AM6:49 AM7:42 PM8:25 PM8:59 PM14h 19m
September6:17 AM6:48 AM7:29 AM6:44 PM7:24 PM7:56 PM12h 36m
October6:59 AM7:30 AM8:12 AM5:41 PM6:23 PM6:54 PM10h 53m
November6:43 AM7:17 AM8:05 AM3:46 PM4:34 PM5:08 PM9h 17m
December7:18 AM7:54 AM8:47 AM3:25 PM4:19 PM4:55 PM8h 25m

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 Point No Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-6°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—5°—
MarchBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
April3:46 AM – 4:16 AM0.512°SSE → SSE
May1:48 AM – 2:58 AM1.213°SSE → S
June12:27 AM – 1:47 AM1.313°SSE → S
July11:53 PM – 12:53 AM1.013°S → SSW
August10:31 PM – 10:51 PM0.311°SSW → SSW
SeptemberBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—4°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 19.81 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 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F6463718790931009191797160
Low °F131525293140464639281613
Precip. (in)6.74.55.43.82.82.00.71.12.34.87.56.8

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.

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 Hansville, 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.

High & low tides — next 3 days

NOAA

Loading predictions…

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Point No Point Light, closest first.

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Point No Point Light?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
What time is golden hour at Point No Point Light?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:41 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:23 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:12 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Point No Point Light?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 53° in June to 125° in December; sunset ranges from 308° to 235°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Point No Point Light?
Yes — the core is visible from April to July on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 5 (suburban sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Point No Point Light?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Point No Point Light from Hansville?
About 2.2 km (1.4 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.