Huntington State Beach — a state park in Orange County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.6 km (2.2 mi) SE of Huntington Beach.
Huntington State Beach is a protected beach in Southern California, located in the City of Huntington Beach in Orange County. It extends 2 miles (3.2 km) from Newport Beach (Santa Ana River) north to Beach Boulevard, where the Huntington City Beach begins. The 121-acre (49 ha) park was established in 1942. This beach is a popular destination for many beach enthusiasts. This beach has moderate to good surf, fishing, volleyball courts, basketball courts, bathrooms, and fire-rings for bonfires. Lifeguard Services at Huntington State Beach are provided by the California State Parks Lifeguard Service. Lifeguards patrol the beach year-round while lifeguard towers are staffed roughly Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The beach also provides a nesting sanctuary for California least terns, an endangered subspecies, and snowy plovers, a threatened species on the West Coast.From the Wikipedia article “Huntington State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Huntington State Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:06 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Huntington State Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.05 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 35 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 38 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 |
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 state park
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Huntington State Beach, closest first.
Natural Arch
State Park
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
State ParkNatural Arch
Botanical Garden
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Huntington State Beach?
What time is golden hour at Huntington State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Huntington State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Huntington State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Huntington State Beach?
How far is Huntington State Beach from Huntington Beach?
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.