Located in Coos County, New Hampshire, Success Pond is a lake at about 488 m (1,601 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Milan, about 11.4 km (7.1 mi) away (Success Pond lies E of town).
Success Pond is a 282-acre (1.14 km2) water body located in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States, in the township of Success. Water from the pond flows west via Chickwolnepy Stream to the Androscoggin River. There are a number of summer houses, cottages, and cabins located on the pond. Recreational uses include swimming, boating, and fishing. The lake is classified as a coldwater fishery, with observed species including brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass.From the Wikipedia article “Success Pond”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Success Pond the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:00 AM | 55° NE | 8:34 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 123° ESE | 4:07 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 4:59 AM | 5:44 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:39 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Success Pond, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:59 PM – 2:29 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:05 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:05 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -27 | -32 | -21 | 7 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | -4 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Success Pond, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hastings Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Barnes Field Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Wild River Campground30 km (18 mi)
- Dolly Copp30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Success Pond?
What time is golden hour at Success Pond?
Where does the sun rise and set at Success Pond?
Can you see the Milky Way from Success Pond?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Success Pond?
How far is Success Pond from Milan?
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.