Located in Clallam County, Washington, Slip Point Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Forks, about 36 km (23 mi) away (Slip Point Light lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Slip Point Lighthouse was a lighthouse on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, sitting on the point of land that marks the eastern side of Clallam Bay in Clallam County, Washington. The original light was replaced by a freestanding tower in 1951, which was discontinued around 2000 and replaced with a buoy light.From the Wikipedia article “Slip Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Slip 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 235° (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) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 52° NE | 9:22 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:06 AM | 126° SE | 4:26 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 20m |
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 | 8:04 AM | 8:55 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 47m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 12m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:20 PM | 10:02 PM | 16h 04m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 42m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:56 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 22m |
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 Slip Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April 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 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 | 3:54 AM – 4:24 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:58 AM – 2:58 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:43 AM – 1:43 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:04 AM – 12:54 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:39 PM – 10:59 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.81 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 September as the clearest month (about 60% 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 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 89 | 86 | 80 | 69 | 59 | 55 |
| Low °F | 13 | 19 | 24 | 31 | 35 | 42 | 46 | 46 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.9 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 7.3 | 11.0 | 9.8 |
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.
- 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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Sekiu, Clallam Bay, 3.4 km (2.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Slip Point Light, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Slip Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Slip Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Slip Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Slip Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Slip Point Light?
How far is Slip Point 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.