Point Sal State Beach — a state park in Santa Barbara County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Guadalupe, about 10.4 km (6.5 mi) away (Point Sal State Beach lies SW of town).
Point Sal State Beach is a beach on the Pacific coast of California, located near the city of Guadalupe, in the northwestern part of Santa Barbara County. There are approximately 80 acres (320,000 m2) of property with 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of ocean frontage. The rocks around the headland constitute part of the Coast Range Ophiolite, one of the largest ophiolite terranes in the world. This beach is at risk of landslides as there are rocky shorelines and extremely steep slopes. Among the most popular activities are fishing, beach combing, hiking, nature study, photography, picnicking and sunbathing. Swimming is not recommended due to dangerous rip currents, absence of lifeguard service, and occasional shark sightings. There are also no recreational facilities (toilets, picnic tables, etc.) Camping is prohibited due to security concerns involving Vandenberg Space Force Base. Camping can be...From the Wikipedia article “Point Sal State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Point Sal 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 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) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:20 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Point Sal State Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:55 AM – 4:55 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 4:19 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.95 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). September 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 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 73 | 79 | 80 | 77 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 76 | 72 |
| Low °F | 41 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 51 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 52 | 46 | 44 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.0 |
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 Point Sal State Beach, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
State Park
Lighthouse
Natural Arch
Hot Spring
State Park
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Point Sal State Beach?
What time is golden hour at Point Sal State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Point Sal State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Point Sal State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Point Sal State Beach?
How far is Point Sal State Beach from Guadalupe?
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.