Skylands — a botanical garden in Passaic County, New Jersey — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ringwood, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (Skylands lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Skylands is a 1,119-acre (4.53 km2) estate property located in Ringwood State Park in Ringwood, New Jersey, a borough in Passaic County in the state of New Jersey. The Skylands property consists of the historic Skylands Manor mansion, and the New Jersey Botanical Garden; the botanical garden is 96 acres (390,000 m2) and it is open to the public year-round. The Skylands property is within the Ramapo Mountains and it is maintained by the Skylands Association. The property is marketed with the garden as New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skylands.From the Wikipedia article “Skylands (estate)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Skylands the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 57° ENE | 8:34 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:32 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 14m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Skylands, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:09 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.64 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 64 | 70 | 72 | 90 | 88 | 94 | 99 | 101 | 95 | 88 | 76 | 67 |
| Low °F | -14 | -19 | -8 | 18 | 28 | 37 | 47 | 48 | 37 | 21 | 5 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
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 botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Skylands, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lake
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Skylands?
What time is golden hour at Skylands?
Where does the sun rise and set at Skylands?
Can you see the Milky Way from Skylands?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Skylands?
How far is Skylands from Ringwood?
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.