Carolina Beach State Park — a state park in New Hanover County, North Carolina — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Carolina Beach, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Carolina Beach State Park lies NW of town).
Carolina Beach State Park is a North Carolina state park in New Hanover County, North Carolina. It covers 761 acres (3.08 km2) on Pleasure Island. The state owns 420 acres (1.7 km2) of the park in fee simple, and the remainder of park land is leased from the Department of the Army. The park is located along the Cape Fear River and Snow's Cut (part of the Intracoastal Waterway). Pocosin wetlands, a type of wetland that supports rare carnivorous plant species, are found in the park. Carnivorous plants found at this park include Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, butterworts and bladderworts. The park features six miles of hiking trails. Other amenities include a marina, campsites, picnic area, and a visitor center featuring natural history exhibits.From the Wikipedia article “Carolina Beach State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carolina Beach State Park 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 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 61° ENE | 8:27 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 118° ESE | 5:07 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Carolina Beach State Park, 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 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:10 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:42 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:45 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.03 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July 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 | 73 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 92 | 94 | 97 | 95 | 92 | 90 | 80 | 75 |
| Low °F | 17 | 17 | 26 | 37 | 47 | 60 | 67 | 64 | 56 | 42 | 30 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 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 Carolina Beach State Park, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeach
LighthouseBeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carolina Beach State Park?
What time is golden hour at Carolina Beach State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carolina Beach State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carolina Beach State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carolina Beach State Park?
How far is Carolina Beach State Park from Carolina 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.