Located in Ventura County, California, McGrath State Beach is a state park. The nearest town is Ventura, about 6.7 km (4.2 mi) away (McGrath State Beach lies SSE of town).
McGrath State Beach is a protected beach park located on the south bank of the mouth of Santa Clara River in the city of Oxnard, California. McGrath State Beach is one of the best bird-watching areas in California, with the lush riverbanks of the Santa Clara River and sand dunes along the shore. A nature trail leads to the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve. Camping sites are available. Two miles of beach provide surfing and fishing opportunities. Just south of the station is the undeveloped Mandalay Beach Park which is about a mile downcoast beach walk from the park or a bike ride along Harbor Blvd. Located south of Ventura on Harbor Boulevard, the beach is on the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route and the California Coastal Trail. The park overlies the productive West Montalvo Oil Field and oil wells are in an enclosure just behind the beach, and slant-drill into the offshore part of...From the Wikipedia article “McGrath State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McGrath 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 61° ENE | 8:13 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:00 AM | 118° ESE | 4:52 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 53m |
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 McGrath 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 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 | 4:35 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 4:47 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:10 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:56 PM – 3:56 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 12:27 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 18.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 93 | 99 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 43 | 48 | 50 | 42 | 37 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 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
- 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 McGrath State Beach, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
Beach
Lake
Natural Arch
Lighthouse
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph McGrath State Beach?
What time is golden hour at McGrath State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at McGrath State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from McGrath State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McGrath State Beach?
How far is McGrath State Beach from Ventura?
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.