Battle Rock is a rock formation in Curry County, Oregon. It sits roughly 1.0 km (0.6 mi) SE of Port Orford.
Battle Rock, or Battle Rock Arch, is a promontory on the west coast of the United States of America. It is located in the southwest Curry County of Oregon, near the small coastal city of Port Orford. The rock is composed mainly of basalt, and is part of the coastal Otter Point Formation. In 1851, a small skirmish broke out on the rock between white settlers and the indigenous Quatomah Tututnis, the Athapaskan people who lived in the area. The settlers eventually fled, before returning in greater numbers and establishing a fort at Cape Orford. The skirmish passed into local legend, becoming a part of Port Orford's community celebrations and folklore.From the Wikipedia article “Battle Rock”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Battle Rock the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 56° ENE | 9:00 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 122° ESE | 4:48 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Battle Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:54 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:00 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:56 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 65 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 80 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | 26 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 49 | 44 | 39 | 33 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 12.2 |
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 rock formation
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Battle Rock, closest first.
Natural Arch
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
Wilderness Area
Lake
BeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Edson Creek Campground (Or)10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Sixes River Campground Or16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Battle Rock?
What time is golden hour at Battle Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Battle Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Battle Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Battle Rock?
How far is Battle Rock from Port Orford?
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.