Follins Pond — a lake in Barnstable County, Massachusetts — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is South Dennis, about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away (Follins Pond lies NW of town).
Follins Pond is a brackish lake located on Cape Cod, separating the towns of Dennis, Massachusetts, and Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The lake is connected to Nantucket Sound via the Bass River.From the Wikipedia article “Follins Pond”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Follins Pond the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (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) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 57° ENE | 8:19 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 122° ESE | 4:14 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
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:43 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 Follins Pond, 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 6 (bright 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 | 4:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:20 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 11:29 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 9:27 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.09 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 56 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 76 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 67 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 13 | 29 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 22 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
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 lake
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Follins Pond, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Beach
Lighthouse
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Le Count Beach House29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Bay View House30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Sunrise House30 km (19 mi) · reservable
- Ocean View House30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Follins Pond?
What time is golden hour at Follins Pond?
Where does the sun rise and set at Follins Pond?
Can you see the Milky Way from Follins Pond?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Follins Pond?
How far is Follins Pond from South Dennis?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.