Located in Curry County, Oregon, Shasta Costa Overlook is a scenic viewpoint at about 1,054 m (3,458 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 43 km (27 mi) WNW of Merlin.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Shasta Costa Overlook 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 304° (NW) in June to 238° (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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 57° ENE | 8:58 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Shasta Costa Overlook, 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:50 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:51 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:58 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:54 PM | 0.8 | 15° | 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 ≈ 21.88 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 101 | 104 | 106 | 103 | 93 | 79 | 58 |
| Low °F | 7 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
- Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
- Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Shasta Costa Overlook, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaWaterfall
National ForestWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rogue River Dispersed Campsites5.7 km (3.5 mi)
- Foster Bar Campground10.9 km (6.7 mi)
- Bald Knob Lookout10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Lake Of The Woods Lookout17.3 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Shasta Costa Overlook?
What time is golden hour at Shasta Costa Overlook?
Where does the sun rise and set at Shasta Costa Overlook?
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How far is Shasta Costa Overlook from Merlin?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.