Sea Lion Rock Arch is a natural arch in Clatsop County, Oregon. The nearest town is Cannon Beach, about 3.4 km (2.1 mi) away (Sea Lion Rock Arch lies NNW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sea Lion Rock Arch the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 124° SE | 4:34 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 41m |
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 Sea Lion Rock Arch, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | 5:32 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:26 AM – 3:26 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:52 PM – 2:42 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:32 PM – 1:22 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.5 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 July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 57 | 59 | 66 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 87 | 79 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 39 | 31 | 24 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.3 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 10.5 | 11.4 |
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 natural arch
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Frame distant features through the opening of the arch for a natural window.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sea Lion Rock Arch, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
Beach
State Park
State Park
State Park
Ghost Town
State Park
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sea Lion Rock Arch?
What time is golden hour at Sea Lion Rock Arch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sea Lion Rock Arch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sea Lion Rock Arch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sea Lion Rock Arch?
How far is Sea Lion Rock Arch from Cannon Beach?
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.