Twin Lakes State Beach — a state park in Santa Cruz County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 600 m SSW of Twin Lakes.
Twin Lakes State Beach is a beach located on Monterey Bay directly south of the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor Santa Cruz, in coastal Santa Cruz County, northern California. This one-mile (1.6 km) long shoreline is a popular place for swimming and picnicking, along with birdwatching in the adjacent Schwan's Lake. It has a small craft harbor parallel to East Cliff and Portola Drives.From the Wikipedia article “Twin Lakes State Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Twin Lakes 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 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:32 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 38m |
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 Twin Lakes State Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March 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 8 (city 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 | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 4:13 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:22 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:29 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.33 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
- 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 Twin Lakes State Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Twin Lakes State Beach?
What time is golden hour at Twin Lakes State Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Twin Lakes State Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Twin Lakes State Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Twin Lakes State Beach?
How far is Twin Lakes State Beach from Twin Lakes?
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.