Quabbin Reservoir — a lake in Franklin County, Massachusetts — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hardwick, about 8.3 km (5.2 mi) away (Quabbin Reservoir lies W of town).
Quabbin Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts. Along with Wachusett Reservoir, it is the primary water supply for Boston, 65 miles (105 km) to the east, and 40 other cities and towns in Greater Boston. The Quabbin also supplies water to three towns west of the reservoir and serves as a backup supply for three others. By 1989, it supplied water for 2.5 million people, about 40% of the state's population at the time. It has an aggregate capacity of 412 billion US gallons (1,260,000 acre⋅ft; 1,560 GL) and an area of 38.6 square miles (100 km2). Quabbin Reservoir is formed by the flooding of the Swift River Valley behind Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike. The two structures were built between 1930 and 1939, though the reservoir took until 1946 to fill to capacity. The 25-mile (40 km) Quabbin Aqueduct carries water from Quabbin Reservoir directly to Wachusett...From the Wikipedia article “Quabbin Reservoir”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Quabbin Reservoir 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 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 57° ENE | 8:30 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Quabbin Reservoir, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:21 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:31 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.26 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 63 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- 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.
- 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 Quabbin Reservoir, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Quabbin Reservoir?
What time is golden hour at Quabbin Reservoir?
Where does the sun rise and set at Quabbin Reservoir?
Can you see the Milky Way from Quabbin Reservoir?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Quabbin Reservoir?
How far is Quabbin Reservoir from Hardwick?
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.