San Buenaventura State Beach — a state park in Ventura County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) SE of Ventura.
San Buenaventura State Beach is a beach located in Ventura, California. The primary entrance is at 901 Pedro Street, off the 101 Freeway. This beach is adjacent to the 1,700-foot (520 m) Ventura Pier that has a snack bar and restaurant. People come to this beach to surf, swim, and picnic. This is the beginning of the Omer Rains Bike Trail system that leads to other nearby beaches. Several special events take place in this place, such as the Pirate Festival, triathlon, the "Seaside Invitational" cross country meet, the State Junior Lifeguards Program that is held each summer, and volleyball tournaments. The nesting of the Snowy plover is monitored here, and temporary informational/warning signs and fences (or ropes) are erected near nest sites during the breeding season. To help in the recovery of the bird, nonnative vegetation that threatens the beach habitat has been removed, and...From the Wikipedia article “San Buenaventura State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At San Buenaventura 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) | 7:02 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 27m |
| 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 | 7:04 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 | 8:21 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:12 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 | 7:31 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 San Buenaventura 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.45 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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 San Buenaventura State Beach, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Beach
State Park
Lake
Lighthouse
Beach
Canyon
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wheeler Gorge27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Holiday Group Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Anacapa Island29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph San Buenaventura State Beach?
What time is golden hour at San Buenaventura State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at San Buenaventura State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from San Buenaventura State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at San Buenaventura State Beach?
How far is San Buenaventura 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.