Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site — a state park in Lincoln County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Lincoln Beach, about 3.0 km (1.9 mi) away (Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site lies NNE of town).
Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site is a state park administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located along the Pacific Ocean 7 miles (11 km) south of Lincoln City, it offers public beach access, picnicking, and fishing in a setting of shore pines, sandstone bluffs, and sand. The park is fee-free. Open year-round, the 17.5-acre (7.1 ha) park has picnic tables, a group picnic area, and restrooms. Road access is from U.S. Highway 101, which passes through the nearby community of Gleneden Beach. Picnic tables have been set up in the woods near the parking area and in a meadow above an ocean bluff. A path along the edge of the bluff offers views of the ocean; other paths lead down to the beach.From the Wikipedia article “Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 55° NE | 9:07 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site, 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 | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:19 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 2:48 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 9:29 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 ≈ 21.41 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 65% 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 | 57 | 60 | 61 | 68 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 68 | 71 | 67 | 62 | 60 |
| Low °F | 32 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 49 | 50 | 52 | 50 | 39 | 35 | 30 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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 Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
State Park
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site?
What time is golden hour at Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site?
How far is Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site from Lincoln Beach?
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.