Beach Guide

Crystal Cove State Park Sunset

Crystal Cove Historic District · painted for this minute from Crystal Cove State Park’s own horizon and tonight’s cloud forecast

Mon Nov 2 · — PSTLIVE

The sun is touching the horizon · overcast at 100%

The sun goes down at

5:00 PM

T-00:05:00

It sets straight into the water, so the official sunset time is when you will see it go. Look west-south-west, to the left of Crystal Cove. Golden hour starts at 4:24 PM.

Sunset Score · Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night. Thin high clouds (100%) that turn pink after the sun goes down; nothing low on the horizon, so you should see the sun all the way down.

4 PM · 4:55 PM · 9:30 PM

Prefer the real thing? Watch the live Crystal Cove Alliance cam →

Tonight’s Lineup

artisans & buskers
🦀

Tide Pool Creatures

at low tide

🏠

Historic Cottage Guests

all evening

🐬

Dolphins Offshore

golden hour

🦅

Brown Pelicans

at dusk

🤿

Snorkelers

afternoon

Know Before You Go

Beach access

$15/day

state park day-use fee

Best spot

bluff path

above the Historic District cottages

Marine life

preserved

underwater state park - no fishing

Best photo

cottages

1930s rooflines and the Pacific at sunset

see you at sunset

Tonight’s times, the week ahead and the year by month are below. Crystal Cove Sunset runs nightly, weather permitting, from about two hours before sunset.

What time is sunset at Crystal Cove State Park tonight?

Tonight, Monday, November 2, the sun sets at 5:00 PM at Crystal Cove State Park. It sets over open water here, so that is when you will see it go. Golden hour starts at 4:24 PM, and the sky stays light until about 5:25 PM. Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10. Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Sunrise today was at 6:12 AM, which gives Crystal Cove State Park 10 hr 48 min of daylight. It is fully dark by about 5:54 PM.

Crystal Cove State Park sunset times this week

The next seven evenings at Crystal Cove State Park: when the sun goes down, when golden hour starts and when the last light fades, plus the Sunset Score from each night's cloud forecast.

DaySunsetGolden hourLast lightCloudScore
Tonight5:00 PMfrom 4:24 PM5:25 PM100%3/10
Tue Nov 34:59 PMfrom 4:23 PM5:24 PM15%7/10
Wed Nov 44:58 PMfrom 4:22 PM5:23 PM0%5/10
Thu Nov 54:57 PMfrom 4:21 PM5:22 PM6%5/10
Fri Nov 64:57 PMfrom 4:20 PM5:21 PM0%5/10
Sat Nov 74:56 PMfrom 4:19 PM5:21 PM0%5/10
Sun Nov 84:55 PMfrom 4:18 PM5:20 PM0%5/10

Where to watch the sunset at Crystal Cove State Park

Tonight the sun goes down in the west-south-west (253° on a compass), to the left of Crystal Cove as you face the water. The favorite place to watch is Crystal Cove Historic District.

Tonight’s timeline for Crystal Cove Sunset is at the top of this page.

Can’t make it to the beach? Watch the live Crystal Cove Alliance cam at sunset.

Where the sun sets through the year

The spot where the sun sets moves along the horizon through the year. Around June 21 it goes down furthest north, in the west-north-west (299°); around December 21 it goes down furthest south, in the west-south-west (242°). In June it sets over open water. In December it sets over open water.

Golden hour and blue hour at Crystal Cove State Park

Golden hour tonight runs from 4:24 PM to sunset at 5:00 PM. The sun is low, the light is warm and soft, and shadows are long. It is the best time for photos of people on the beach.

Blue hour follows, from about 5:15 PM to 5:35 PM, when the sun is below the horizon and the sky turns deep blue. The first lights come on along the shore and the water holds the last of the color.

Crystal Cove State Park sunset times by month

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on the 15th of each month. Over the next year the earliest sunset is 4:45 PM (Fri Dec 4) and the latest is 8:07 PM (Tue Jun 29). Times are local and include daylight saving time where it applies.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
November 20266:24 AM4:50 PM10 hr 26 min
December 20266:50 AM4:46 PM9 hr 56 min
January 20276:57 AM5:07 PM10 hr 10 min
February 20276:37 AM5:37 PM10 hr 59 min
March 20277:04 AM7:00 PM11 hr 56 min
April 20276:22 AM7:23 PM13 hr
May 20275:52 AM7:46 PM13 hr 53 min
June 20275:42 AM8:04 PM14 hr 22 min
July 20275:53 AM8:04 PM14 hr 10 min
August 20276:15 AM7:40 PM13 hr 25 min
September 20276:36 AM7:00 PM12 hr 24 min
October 20276:57 AM6:20 PM11 hr 23 min

Tips for a great sunset at Crystal Cove State Park

  • Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. The best spots fill up, and the light is often at its best in the last half hour before the sun goes down.
  • Stay 20 minutes after. The clouds often light up brightest after the sun is gone, and most people have already left.
  • Check the Sunset Score. Scattered clouds make the most color. A clear sky gives a clean sunset that fades fast, and a heavy overcast can hide it.
  • Plan your parking. Sunset is a busy time at popular beaches. See Crystal Cove State Park parking for lots and rates.
  • Look at the water too. Today’s wind, waves and water temperature are on the Crystal Cove State Park conditions page.
  • Make a night of it. Find places to eat and sunset cruises and things to do at Crystal Cove State Park.

How we work out the sunset time

The official sunset time is when the top of the sun sinks below a flat sea horizon. We also check Crystal Cove State Park’s real horizon: the hills, headlands and islands you can see from the sand. When land is in the way, the sun disappears before the official time, and we show you that earlier time. The Sunset Score rates how colorful the sky should be from the cloud forecast at sunset. Buildings are not included, so a tall hotel beside you can still hide the last minute.

Crystal Cove State Park sunset FAQ

What time is sunset at Crystal Cove State Park today?

The sun sets at 5:00 PM at Crystal Cove State Park today (Monday, November 2).

What time is sunrise at Crystal Cove State Park today?

The sun rose at 6:12 AM at Crystal Cove State Park today.

How many hours of daylight does Crystal Cove State Park get today?

10 hr 48 min of daylight, from 6:12 AM to 5:00 PM.

When is golden hour at Crystal Cove State Park tonight?

Golden hour at Crystal Cove State Park runs from 4:24 PM to sunset at 5:00 PM, when the sun is low and the light turns warm and soft. Blue hour follows, from 5:15 PM to 5:35 PM.

When does it get dark at Crystal Cove State Park tonight?

The sky stays light enough to see without a flashlight until about 5:25 PM, the end of civil twilight. It is fully dark by about 5:54 PM.

Will the sunset be good at Crystal Cove State Park tonight?

Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10, from the cloud forecast at sunset. Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Which direction does the sun set at Crystal Cove State Park?

Tonight the sun sets in the west-south-west, at 253° on a compass. Through the year it moves between the west-north-west in June and the west-south-west in December.

Can you see the sun set over the water at Crystal Cove State Park?

Yes. Tonight the sun sets over open water, to the west-south-west.

What are the earliest and latest sunset times at Crystal Cove State Park?

Over the next year the earliest sunset at Crystal Cove State Park is 4:45 PM on Friday, December 4, and the latest is 8:07 PM on Tuesday, June 29.

Where is the best place to watch the sunset at Crystal Cove State Park?

Crystal Cove Historic District is the favorite spot at Crystal Cove State Park. Get there 30 to 45 minutes before sunset for a good place, and stay 20 minutes after for the afterglow.

Is there a live sunset cam at Crystal Cove State Park?

Yes. The Crystal Cove Alliance live cam shows Crystal Cove State Park in real time, linked from this page.

Sunset tonight at beaches near Crystal Cove State Park

Laguna Beach sunset4 mi5:00 PM
Newport Beach sunset6 mi5:00 PM
Huntington Beach sunset11 mi5:00 PM
Doheny State Beach sunset12 mi5:00 PM
San Clemente sunset16 mi4:59 PM
Seal Beach sunset19 mi5:01 PM

See every beach on one map: sunset times tonight across the US →