Located in Curry County, Oregon, Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is a state park. The nearest town is Brookings, about 9.5 km (5.9 mi) away (Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor lies NW of town).
Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is a linear state park in southwestern Oregon, in the United States. It is 12 miles (19 km) long and thickly forested along steep and rugged coastline with a few small sand beaches. It is named in honor of Samuel H. Boardman, the first Oregon Parks superintendent. It is located from 3 to 15 miles (5 to 24 km) north of Brookings, between the Pacific Ocean and U.S. Route 101. The north end abuts the Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint. More than 14 named creeks cross the corridor. The Oregon Coast Trail meanders for about 27 miles (43 km) through the park, among 300-year-old Sitka spruce trees and several natural arches and bridges. There is beach access and some sand dunes. The Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Oregon Islands Wilderness protect wildlife and habitat on all of the approximately 130 rocks and islands along the corridor's shore.From the Wikipedia article “Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 57° ENE | 8:58 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 122° ESE | 4:49 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:07 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, closest first.
Beach
State Park
Natural Arch
Lighthouse
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ludlum House22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Packers Cabin26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Quail Prairie Lookout29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Snow Camp Lookout29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor?
What time is golden hour at Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor?
Where does the sun rise and set at Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor?
Can you see the Milky Way from Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor?
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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.