Headlands Beach State Park is a state park in Lake County, Ohio. The nearest town is Fairport Harbor, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (Headlands Beach State Park lies NW of town).
Headlands Beach State Park is a public beach in Mentor and Painesville Township, Ohio, United States. It is the longest natural beach in Ohio and attracts two million visitors annually. The breakwall at the eastern end of the park, frequented by fishermen, is surmounted by the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light. The park features a 35-acre beach for sunbathing, swimming, and beach glass hunting along with picnicking facilities and seasonal concessionaire.From the Wikipedia article “Headlands Beach State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Headlands Beach State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 57° ENE | 9:04 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 122° ESE | 4:58 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Headlands Beach State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:55 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 19.64 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 62 | 66 | 79 | 79 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 94 | 86 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | -10 | -11 | -1 | 18 | 27 | 40 | 49 | 47 | 40 | 29 | 13 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
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 Headlands Beach State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Botanical GardenWaterfall
State Park
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Headlands Beach State Park?
What time is golden hour at Headlands Beach State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Headlands Beach State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Headlands Beach State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Headlands Beach State Park?
How far is Headlands Beach State Park from Fairport Harbor?
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.