Montauk Point Lighthouse is located on Turtle Hill at the easternmost point of Long Island, in the hamlet of Montauk in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, NY. Montauk Lighthouse was the first lighthouse in New York State, and is the fourth-oldest active lighthouse in the United States.
We wanted to visit Montauk for a quite sometime now, especially the Hampton and the Lighthouse. We heard a lot about the Hamptons and the beaches out there. This summer we have decided to spend at least one weekend exploring the Town of East Hampton.
We stayed at this beautiful resort called Hartman’s Briney Breezes Beach Resort which was 5 minute drive from Montauk downtown and 15 minutes from Montauk Point Lighthouse.
Without a doubt, the main attraction for me in Montauk was to take pictures of the lighthouse. I am crazy about Lighthouses and Montauk Point Light is one of the beautiful lighthouses in east coast. In addition to the lighthouse, I found that the little town of Montauk has beautiful vibes and great food.
I would definitely recommend everyone to visit this beautiful town at least once and to enjoy the beaches, market place and the food.
Photographing any vista is very easy, whereas finding a good spot and a unique composition is hard. Here are few of my favorite images of the lighthouse taken from different spots for unique compositions, hope this will help you plan your next trip to this beautiful town.
Montauk Point Lighthouse from Camp Hero Trail Head
To get this beautiful composition you have to drive Camp Hero parking lot. Comparing this parking lot to the Montauk Point Lighthouse parking lot, this lot is way smaller. Since this is a smaller parking lot, you might need to plan your visit early in the morning or late in the evening. I was at the parking lot almost during the sunrise. Once you park the car, walk eastwards toward the Camp Hero Trail Head. For your safety, they have put the wooden fence and markers so that people don’t get to the edge of the cliff. So, please be safe and obey all the rules and guidelines for your own sake.
Location Pin: Camp Hero Trail Head
Montauk Point Lighthouse from the South-East Shore/Beach
To get to this location, you just have to follow a narrow trail from the right of the lighthouse. Once you are at the beach, you can walk towards the far end to get some nice compositions. I love long exposure shots, so this was a perfect location for me. I used the rock in my composition to give a nice foreground element to the crashing waves. By no means, this is the only composition there. You will see many photo worthy compositions and angles. Again, just be careful and mindful of the waves and the rocks.
Location Pin: South East Shore/Beach
Montauk Point Lighthouse from Georges Lighthouse Cafe
This is an easier composition, you don’t have to walk a lot. You park your car in the upper parking lot and just walk towards the Cafe. Cafe has a viewing area, and you get to see beautiful sunrise and of course the lovely Lighthouse.
Location Pin: Georges Lighthouse Cafe
A view from the Side of the Road
This image was taken from the side of the road when you come out of the Georges Lighthouse Cafe and walk towards the parking lot, I felt this was a wonderful view of the lighthouse as the road leads the viewer to the Lighthouse. This image was taken just before the sunrise.
Location Pin: A Road View
Montauk Point Lighthouse East Shore/Beach
This image is taken from the east side of the lighthouse. You will follow a road that goes down from the right of the Lighthouse Museum to the beach. Again, there are numerous compositions per your liking. I took two photographs -first one from an elevation, once you get to the beach, you can climb up the hill on your left to take an elevated shot. And, the second one from the shore (as you can see in this image). I like this shot because of the wonderful foreground and the depth that it gives to an image.
Location Pin: East Shore/Beach
Montauk Point Lighthouse from the main Parking Lot
The last image shot with my trusted Nikon D750 was taken few steps away from my car that was parked in the upper parking lot. The spot is very easy to access, as a result this composition is easy and simple.
Location Pin: Parking Lot View
You can see that I clearly shot this lighthouse from all possible angles and spots. Not only it is a beautiful photography spot but also you can come over here to enjoy a cup of coffee at sunrise and sunset. Furthermore, this is a popular spot for star gazing due to minimum to no light pollution. I wish I had more luck on my side during my visit, the nights were beautiful despite of the passing by clouds. I hope to visit this place again next year, hope I will bring some luck with me.
If you like this article and images on how to photograph a place, I am sure you would like another article, especially How to photograph Mesa Arch at its glory?
At the end, I would like to say that Montauk is a beautiful little coastal town in Long Island, New York. The downtown has beautiful vibes, great restaurants and of course shopping. I highly recommend a Caribbean influenced restaurant called Doubles at Amagansett Square.
Few Facts
- The Empire State Park pass is accepted.
- Parking charges start from 8 AM in the morning till 4 PM in the evening.
- Parking cost per vehicle is $8 (at least when I was there in August, 2022).
- You need parking permit to be in the park for astrophotography.
Helpful Links
- Plan Your Lighthouse Visit – Montauk Historical Society
- Montauk Point Lighthouse | Long Island – New York by Rail
- Long Island State Park Permits
- Aperture: ƒ/11
- Camera: NIKON D750
- Focal length: 70mm
- ISO: 100
- Shutter speed: 1/160s
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