Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site is a state park in Coos County, Oregon. The nearest town is Myrtle Point, about 11.7 km (7.3 mi) away (Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site lies SSE of town).
Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site is a state park administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in the U.S. state of Oregon. The park, bordering the Powers Highway (Oregon Route 542) between Myrtle Point and Powers, in Coos County, features a swimming hole and sandy beach along the South Fork Coquille River. Other amenities include parking, picnic tables, restrooms, and access to fishing. The Save the Myrtlewoods organization donated the land for the park in 1950. Subject to occasional flooding, the 7-acre (2.8 ha) park contains a stand of Oregon myrtle trees. The Oregon myrtle, also known as California laurel or Pacific myrtle, is a slow-growing hardwood often turned into lumber to make furniture, cabinets, and specialty items such as plates and bowls. Many of the larger stands, found at low elevation along the Pacific coast between lower California and Coos Bay,...From the Wikipedia article “Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 56° ENE | 9:00 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:28 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 4:41 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:16 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.81 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 July as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 65 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 80 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | 26 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 49 | 44 | 39 | 33 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 12.2 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site, closest first.
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Wilderness Area
National ForestWaterfall
Lake
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sixes River Campground Or24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Edson Creek Campground (Or)30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site?
What time is golden hour at Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site?
How far is Coquille Myrtle Grove State Natural Site from Myrtle Point?
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.