Sam's Point Preserve is a cave in Ulster County, New York. It sits roughly 6.3 km (3.9 mi) SSE of Ellenville.
Sam's Point Preserve, or Sam's Point Dwarf Pine Ridge Preserve, is a 4,600-acre (19 km2) preserve in Ulster County on the highest point (2,289 feet [698 m]) of the Shawangunk Ridge in New York, on the Wawarsing, New York-Shawangunk town line. It is owned and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation after having previously been managed by The Nature Conservancy. Its unique environment features dwarf pitch pine trees along the ridgetop. Located within the park is Lake Maratanza, the highest lake on the ridge, and the Ellenville Fault Ice Caves. Parking reservations are required April 15 through November 15 on weekends and holidays.From the Wikipedia article “Sam's Point Preserve”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sam's Point Preserve 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) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 57° ENE | 8:36 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:31 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Sam's Point Preserve, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:36 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:45 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.15 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 cave
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sam's Point Preserve, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sam's Point Preserve?
What time is golden hour at Sam's Point Preserve?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sam's Point Preserve?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sam's Point Preserve?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sam's Point Preserve?
How far is Sam's Point Preserve from Ellenville?
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.