Located in Door County, Wisconsin, Sherwood Point Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 7.9 km (4.9 mi) NW of Sturgeon Bay. Its recorded tower height is about 11 m (36 ft). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sherwood Point lighthouse is a lighthouse located near Idlewild in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. Situated on the west side of the north entrance to Sturgeon Bay, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.From the Wikipedia article “Sherwood Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sherwood Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 55° NE | 8:40 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 123° ESE | 4:12 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:44 PM | 8h 48m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Sherwood Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:06 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.37 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 59% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (74%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 45 | 53 | 69 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 92 | 92 | 86 | 79 | 67 | 58 |
| Low °F | -23 | -15 | -11 | 16 | 29 | 37 | 50 | 51 | 40 | 29 | 13 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
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
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sherwood Point Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Sand Dunes
Lighthouse
LighthouseSand DunesSand Dunes
State Park
Lake
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sherwood Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Sherwood Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sherwood Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sherwood Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sherwood Point Light?
How far is Sherwood Point Light from Sturgeon Bay?
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.