Marina State Beach — a state park in Monterey County, California — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 900 m W of Marina.
Marina State Beach is a protected beach on Monterey Bay, located in the city of Marina in Monterey County, California.From the Wikipedia article “Marina State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marina State Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:30 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 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
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 40m |
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 Marina State Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban 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 | 4:55 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.05 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). July 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 | 80 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 110 | 113 | 102 | 90 | 77 |
| Low °F | 20 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
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
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Marina State Beach, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
CanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marina State Beach?
What time is golden hour at Marina State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marina State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marina State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marina State Beach?
How far is Marina State Beach from Marina?
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.