San Onofre State Beach is a state park in San Diego County, California. The nearest town is San Clemente, about 6.4 km (4.0 mi) away (San Onofre State Beach lies SE of town).
San Onofre State Beach (San Onofre, Spanish for "St. Onuphrius") is a 3,000-acre (1,214 ha) state park in San Diego County, California. The beach is 3 miles (5 km) south of San Clemente on Interstate 5 at Basilone Road. The state park is leased to the state of California by the United States Marine Corps. Governor Ronald Reagan established San Onofre State Beach in 1971. With over 2.5 million visitors per year, it is one of the five most-visited state parks in California, hosting swimmers, campers, kayakers, birders, fishermen, bicyclists, sunbathers, surfers, and the sacred Native American site of Panhe.From the Wikipedia article “San Onofre State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At San Onofre 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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:04 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Onofre State Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:30 PM – 4:10 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:45 PM – 3:55 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:28 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:20 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: 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 ≈ 19.31 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Onofre State Beach, closest first.
State Park
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
State ParkCanyonScenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
CanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph San Onofre State Beach?
What time is golden hour at San Onofre State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at San Onofre State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from San Onofre State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at San Onofre State Beach?
How far is San Onofre State Beach from San Clemente?
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.