Located in Tillamook County, Oregon, Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area is a state park. The nearest town is Pacific City, about 1.7 km (1.1 mi) away (Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area lies NNW of town).
Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area is a state park in Pacific City, Oregon, United States. Cape Kiwanda is on the Three Capes Scenic Route, which includes Cape Meares and Cape Lookout. Hiking to the top of Cape Kiwanda allows views of Nestucca Bay to the south and Cape Lookout to the north. A sea stack, named "Chief Kiawanda Rock", is located 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) southwest of the cape. It is one of three features along the Oregon Coast that are called "Haystack Rock", though the one in Cannon Beach is more widely known. One of the attractions, called the Duckbill, in the park was destroyed by vandals in August 2016.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 55° NE | 9:08 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 124° ESE | 4:37 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 44m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:13 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:19 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:41 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:34 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:30 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 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 July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 57 | 59 | 66 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 87 | 79 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 39 | 31 | 24 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.3 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 6.1 | 10.5 | 11.4 |
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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, closest first.
Natural Arch
State ParkNatural Arch
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sandbeach Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- East Dunes Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area8.0 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Castle Rock Group Campground12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Hebo Lake Campground14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Bend Group Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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What time is golden hour at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area?
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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.