Located in Passaic County, New Jersey, Greenwood Lake is a lake. It sits roughly 5.6 km (3.5 mi) SSW of Greenwood Lake.
Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately seven miles (11 km) long, straddling the border of New York and New Jersey. It is located in the Town of Warwick and the Village of Greenwood Lake, New York (in Orange County) and West Milford, New Jersey (in Passaic County). It is the source of the Wanaque River. The lake was originally called "Quampium" by the Munsee Native Americans who lived there. It was renamed "Long Pond" by Europeans, who settled the area in the 18th century for farming and ironmaking, and eventually came to be re-christened "Greenwood Lake."From the Wikipedia article “Greenwood Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Greenwood Lake 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 | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 57° ENE | 8:34 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:32 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 14m |
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 Greenwood Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:43 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:51 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:42 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:42 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| 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 ≈ 19.06 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 lake
- 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.
- 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 Greenwood Lake, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain Peak
State Park
Botanical Garden
Fire LookoutFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Greenwood Lake?
What time is golden hour at Greenwood Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Greenwood Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Greenwood Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Greenwood Lake?
How far is Greenwood Lake from Greenwood Lake?
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.