Ona Beach State Park is a state park in Lincoln County, Oregon. It sits roughly 10.2 km (6.3 mi) N of Waldport.
Brian Booth State Park is a coastal recreational area located near Seal Rock, Lincoln County, Oregon United States, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. It consists of two major portions: Ona Beach State Park and Beaver Creek State Natural Area, which were merged in 2013. The park has beach access, kayaking, and hiking trails. The park is 886.32 acres and has an annual attendance of 247,772 people. Ona is known as a Chinook Jargon word for razor clam. Ona Beach State Park is a state park, which straddles Beaver Creek. It approximately halfway between Newport and Waldport, Oregon, which is 9 miles (14 km) south of the former. Beaver Creek State Natural Area opened to the public on October 1, 2010. The state park is also the western terminus of the Corvallis to the Sea Trail, which has its official opening August 21, 2021.From the Wikipedia article “Brian Booth State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ona Beach State Park 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) | 5:32 AM | 55° NE | 9:05 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 123° ESE | 4:40 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:50 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:27 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 | 5:54 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Ona Beach State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:07 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:32 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.53 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 Ona Beach State Park, closest first.
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State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tillicum16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Canal Creek18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Blackberry25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Cape Perpetua26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Big Elk Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ona Beach State Park?
What time is golden hour at Ona Beach State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ona Beach State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ona Beach State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ona Beach State Park?
How far is Ona Beach State Park from Waldport?
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.