Willapa Bay Light is a lighthouse in Pacific County, Washington. The nearest town is Westport, about 20 km (12 mi) away (Willapa Bay Light lies S of town).
The Willapa Bay Light, originally the Shoalwater Bay Light, was a lighthouse at the north side of the entrance to Willapa Bay in the U.S. state of Washington. It was demolished when shore erosion threatened to topple it.From the Wikipedia article “Willapa Bay Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Willapa Bay Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 54° NE | 9:15 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 125° SE | 4:32 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:46 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:29 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Willapa Bay Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:36 AM – 4:26 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:12 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:04 AM – 2:24 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:41 PM – 1:21 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:29 PM – 11:19 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 9:14 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 64% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (86%). 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 | 56 | 57 | 60 | 66 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 64 | 61 | 59 |
| Low °F | 30 | 29 | 36 | 39 | 43 | 48 | 53 | 53 | 50 | 41 | 33 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 11.0 | 7.1 | 8.4 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 7.2 | 11.7 | 11.3 |
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.
- 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 Toke Point, 8.6 km (5.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Willapa Bay Light, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Willapa Bay Light?
What time is golden hour at Willapa Bay Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Willapa Bay Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Willapa Bay Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Willapa Bay Light?
How far is Willapa Bay Light from Westport?
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.