Hampton Beach State Park is a state park in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. The nearest town is Hampton Beach, about 900 m away (Hampton Beach State Park lies S of town).
Hampton Beach State Park is a 50-acre (20 ha) state park in the community of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, United States. It is located on the southeastern edge of New Hampshire on a peninsula where the Hampton River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Ocean Boulevard (New Hampshire Route 1A) forms the western edge of the park. The park has a large beach with lifeguards, playground, an amphitheater, public information services, public restrooms, pavilion, comfort station and first aid. Activities in the park include swimming, fishing, picnicking, and RV camping with full hook-ups in the campground.From the Wikipedia article “Hampton Beach State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hampton Beach State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 56° ENE | 8:26 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 122° ESE | 4:12 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:43 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Hampton Beach State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:10 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.66 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (70%). August is the warmest month and January 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 | 58 | 56 | 67 | 76 | 79 | 84 | 88 | 89 | 86 | 77 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | -1 | -1 | 8 | 27 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 56 | 49 | 36 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
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
- 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 Hampton Beach State Park, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hampton Beach State Park?
What time is golden hour at Hampton Beach State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hampton Beach State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hampton Beach State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hampton Beach State Park?
How far is Hampton Beach State Park from Hampton Beach?
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.