Willard Pond — a lake in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire at about 353 m (1,158 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Antrim, about 6.4 km (4.0 mi) away (Willard Pond lies W of town).
Willard Pond is a small, protected lake in Antrim, New Hampshire, United States. The lake, located in southwestern New Hampshire, is about 108 acres (44 ha) in size with an average depth of 25 feet (7.6 m) and a maximum depth of 58 feet (18 m). No petroleum motors are allowed, and fly fishing is the only form of fishing allowed. It is part of the dePierrefeu Wildlife Sanctuary, which is owned by the New Hampshire Audubon Society. Because the pond and the land around it are part of the sanctuary, the shore is unable to be developed. Therefore, there are no buildings around the pond and there won't be any in the foreseeable future. Willard is instead surrounded by extensive amounts of wilderness and hiking trails that lead around the pond and to the summits of Bald Mountain and Goodhue Hill. Willard is a popular fishing, boating and hiking destination, and it has become more popular...From the Wikipedia article “Willard Pond”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Willard Pond the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 56° ENE | 8:32 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:17 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:47 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Willard Pond, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:26 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 72 | 82 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -21 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 42 | 30 | 18 | 1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Willard Pond, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Lake
Lake
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
State Park
Lake
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Edward Macdowell Lake Day Use Facilities14.4 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Otter Brook Lake Recreation Area18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Surry Mountain Lake Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Surry Mountain Lake Beach25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Elm Brook Park Rec Area30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Willard Pond?
What time is golden hour at Willard Pond?
Where does the sun rise and set at Willard Pond?
Can you see the Milky Way from Willard Pond?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Willard Pond?
How far is Willard Pond from Antrim?
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.