Located in Essex County, New York, Henderson Lake is a lake at about 553 m (1,814 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 19.1 km (11.9 mi) SSW of North Elba.
Henderson Lake is located in the Adirondack Mountains in the town of Newcomb, Essex County, New York in the United States. It was named in 1826 after David Henderson, one of the founders of the Elba Iron Works near Lake Placid, New York, and of the Upper Works at Tahawus, New York. The lake is mainly cited by cartographers as the place where the Hudson River as named officially begins, flowing out of the eastern end and outlet of the lake. Unofficially, the source of the river is traced up Indian Pass Brook and other watercourses to Lake Tear of the Clouds.From the Wikipedia article “Henderson Lake (New York)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Henderson Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 56° NE | 8:44 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 123° ESE | 4:21 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 54m |
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 Henderson Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:49 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:17 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.77 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 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 57 | 62 | 74 | 79 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 86 | 88 | 78 | 69 | 62 |
| Low °F | -27 | -27 | -20 | 6 | 24 | 33 | 41 | 42 | 28 | 21 | -9 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Henderson Lake, closest first.
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Henderson Lake?
What time is golden hour at Henderson Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Henderson Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Henderson Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Henderson Lake?
How far is Henderson Lake from North Elba?
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.