Located in Coos County, Oregon, Bullards Beach State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Bandon, about 4.1 km (2.5 mi) away (Bullards Beach State Park lies N of town).
Bullards Beach State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The park was acquired between 1962 and 1985 by purchase from various owners, including the U. S. Bureau of Land Management. The Coquille River Lighthouse, built by the U. S. Coast Guard in 1896 and operated until 1939, sits at the confluence of the river and ocean. The Bullard family were early settlers in the Bandon area. Robert Bullard established a store and post office at the mouth of the Coquille River and operated a ferry, which crossed the river near the present bridge on U.S. 101.From the Wikipedia article “Bullards Beach State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bullards Beach State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 56° NE | 9:02 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Bullards Beach State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:47 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 3:10 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:07 PM – 1:57 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:52 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:47 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.2 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 64% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 61 | 65 | 67 | 75 | 75 | 79 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 78 | 65 | 62 |
| Low °F | 31 | 30 | 35 | 37 | 41 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 33 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 9.9 |
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
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Bullards Beach State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
Lake
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bullards Beach State Park?
What time is golden hour at Bullards Beach State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bullards Beach State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bullards Beach State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bullards Beach State Park?
How far is Bullards Beach State Park from Bandon?
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.