Cape Lookout State Park — a state park in Tillamook County, Oregon — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Tillamook, about 15.2 km (9.4 mi) away (Cape Lookout State Park lies SW of town).
Cape Lookout State Park is a state park on Cape Lookout in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in Tillamook County, south of the city of Tillamook, on a sand spit between Netarts Bay and the Pacific Ocean.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Lookout State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cape Lookout State Park 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 40m |
| 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 | 4:36 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 07m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 07m |
| 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 | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Lookout State Park, 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 ≈ 21.6 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 Lookout State Park, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- East Dunes Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Sandbeach Campground - Sand Lake Recreation Area7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Hebo Lake Campground19.4 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Castle Rock Group Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cape Lookout State Park?
What time is golden hour at Cape Lookout State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape Lookout State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Lookout State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Lookout State Park?
How far is Cape Lookout State Park from Tillamook?
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.