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Photo locations · San Francisco · United States

Marshall’s Beach Golden Gate View: sunrise photography forecast

Marshall’s Beach puts the Golden Gate Bridge above a raw, west-facing shoreline, close enough for the bridge to dominate without losing the Marin Headlands. The best foreground changes with every tide.

Will today's sunrise be worth it?

Simplified forecast from the open model run. The full forecast — a second model, your exact viewpoint, the hourly cloud timeline — is in the app.

Global model, about 13 km: less certain than in Europe.

Most of the cloud overhead sits in shadow and is unlikely to catch colour. The light path toward the sun is open.

in 3h 57m

Pale clear glow

Harsh directional light · backlit landscapes; harsh for portraits

Some texture is present, but layering or scene depth is limited.

High confidence · event-time scene

Sky colors

Golden hour
Sunrise

Light corridor

Viewer's line of sight, tangent to the Earth at your locationNear-ground relative humidity10% cover — too thin to draw as cloud10% cover — too thin to draw as cloud10% cover — too thin to draw as cloud10% cover — too thin to draw as cloudConnected cloud layer · 24–24% cover · 10–10% visual uncertaintylow cloud · 88% reported, 10% resolved on a pressure surface — 78% is somewhere between 0 and 3 kmlow cloud · 88% reported, 10% resolved on a pressure surface — 78% is somewhere between 0.01 and 3 kmlow cloud · 88% reported, 10% resolved on a pressure surface — 78% is somewhere between 0.04 and 3 kmlow cloud · 88% reported, 10% resolved on a pressure surface — 78% is somewhere between 0 and 3 kmlow cloud · 69% reported, 0% resolved on a pressure surface — 69% is somewhere between 0.13 and 3 km

-5 km

Behind you

7/8L 88 · M 0 · H 091%—

Your location

10 m asl

7/8L 88 · M 0 · H 091%—

5 km

Nearby

7/8L 88 · M 0 · H 091%—

20 km

Near horizon

7/8L 88 · M 0 · H 091%—

50 km

Light path

6/8L 69 · M 0 · H 0100%—

100 km

Light path

0/8L 0 · M 0 · H 058%—

150 km

Far light path

0/8L 0 · M 0 · H 064%—

200 km

Far light path

0/8L 0 · M 0 · H 034%—

300 km

Far light path

1/8L 0 · M 12 · H 066%—

350 km

Far light path

3/8L 0 · M 35 · H 042%—
cloud-cover fieldinterpolation uncertaintysun directionnear-ground humiditycloud at unresolved heightmodelled underlightunderlight · height uncertainunderlight · lit on one readinglit but hidden behind nearer cloud

Terrain is drawn for illustration only — it is not used to calculate underlight or obstruction.

Clouds: Cloud canvas mostly unlit

Almost no clouds above you — expect a clean but pale horizon glow rather than a red sky.

Low cloud deck overhead (88%) hides the coloured undersides.

Most cloud is concentrated in one height band, so the scene has limited vertical separation.

Cloud cover changes between nearby and distant parts of the scene, adding texture and depth.

Broken low cloud (84%) — expect the light to come and go.

Light corridor is open

12% blocking cloud at the ray's height out to 350 km — the low sun's own path is clear. Cloud above that ray is judged separately.

Sun likely hidden. Low cloud fills the horizon (88%) — the sun will probably stay behind it.

Clarity: Reduced

High humidity (91%) may soften and mute colors.

Forecast refreshed a few hours before sunrise.

Know the light
before it happens

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For photographers: shooting Marshall’s Beach Golden Gate View

Best months

September to November often brings clearer evenings; winter has lower sun and bigger surf, while summer fog can either hide the bridge or make the frame.

Suggested focal lengths

24–50 mm for rocks, surf and bridge; 70–135 mm for bridge towers in fog.

Composition

Use wet rocks as a broken lead-in and time waves rather than relying on very long exposures. Keep a safe route behind you as the water rises.

Recommended arrival

Start down 75 minutes before sunset and leave enough twilight for the steep return.

Access planning

Check tide, swell and Presidio trail notices. The beach is narrow at high water and the bluffs are unstable.

Parking: Limited roadside or Presidio parking near the Batteries to Bluffs trailheads; observe posted restrictions.

Approach: Roughly 20–30 minutes down stairs and a steep coastal trail.

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