Located in San Juan County, Washington, Coastal Dunes of San Juan Island is a sand dunes. It lies in or next to San Juan Island National Historical Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Friday Harbor, about 8.8 km (5.5 mi) away (Coastal Dunes of San Juan Island lies S of town).
From the National Park Service
Once common in the Salish Sea region, the sand dunes at American Camp are one of few coastal dune ecosystems remaining. Since sand dunes have become imperiled, so have the plants and animals that call the dunes home. San Juan Island has the largest remaining population of yellow sand verbena, much of which can be found at American Camp sand dunes. This plant is found in only three sites in the United States (Washington state only) and five sites in Canada. It is imperative to the survival of the sand verbena moth. Canada has listed the moth as endangered but in contrast, it has no legal protection under the Federal or State Endangered Species programs. The American Camp sand dunes are also home to the endangered island marble butterfly and contain dense patches of tumble mustard, one of three host plants to the butterfly. American Camp and its surrounding environs are the only place left in the world that contain this rare species. For the survival of this ecosystem, sand must be free flowing. Invasive plants that stabilize the sand (Canada thistle and Himalayan blackberry) prohibit this from happening and invite other non-native plants to take root. The NPS is concerned with the effects of dune stabilization and the potential conversion of the dunes to shrublands or grasslands. We continue to control invasive plants while making sure no harm comes to fragile plants and animals. To help protect the dunes, please do not walk within fenced areas. Walking in the dunes can trample island marble butterfly host plants.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coastal Dunes of San Juan Island 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 234° (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) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 52° NE | 9:18 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 126° SE | 4:20 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 18m |
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
Dunes need low sun: ripples and ridgelines only appear when side-light casts shadows, so shoot within an hour of sunrise or sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:51 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 45m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 14m |
| June | 4:29 AM | 5:11 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:58 PM | 16h 06m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 20m |
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 Coastal Dunes of San Juan Island, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May 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 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:01 AM – 4:21 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:56 AM – 2:56 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:50 AM – 1:30 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:03 AM – 12:43 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 10:46 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.48 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 July as the clearest month (about 44% 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 | 58 | 68 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 78 | 64 | 58 |
| Low °F | 10 | 15 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 6.7 |
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 sand dunes
- Protect gear from blowing sand; avoid changing lenses in the wind.
- Sand surfaces get extremely hot in summer afternoons.
- Walk along ridges rather than across faces to avoid leaving footprints in your future compositions.
- A telephoto isolates S-curves and layered ridges.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn for comfortable temperatures; full moon nights give soft light on the sand.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lens blower, Sun protection, Water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Coastal Dunes of San Juan Island, closest first.
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State Park
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Coastal Dunes of San Juan Island?
How far is Coastal Dunes of San Juan Island from Friday Harbor?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.