Griffith Lake — a lake in Bennington County, Vermont at about 786 m (2,579 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Danby, about 5.6 km (3.5 mi) away (Griffith Lake lies SSE of town).
Griffith Lake is a small lake and campsite located in the towns of Peru and Mount Tabor, Vermont, in the Green Mountain National Forest. The site lies on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail. The area is maintained by the Green Mountain Club and has an on-site caretaker to maintain the tent sites, outhouse, composting toilets, and trails during the peak season. During that time, there is a $5 charge for the overnight use of the tent platforms and nearby lean-to shelter. As there are no 'safe' water sources, hikers should be prepared to use a camping-grade water purification system, or to boil their water. Access to Griffith lake is through a combination walking/snowmobile trail. Horses, motorized vehicles, and mountain bikes are not permitted on the access trail.From the Wikipedia article “Griffith Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Griffith Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 56° NE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Griffith Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:18 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.7 | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Griffith Lake, closest first.
Wilderness Area
State Park
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Cave
Rock Formation
Mountain PeakWilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hapgood Pond7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Winhall Brook Camping Area19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Grout Pond Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Griffith Lake?
What time is golden hour at Griffith Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Griffith Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Griffith Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Griffith Lake?
How far is Griffith Lake from Danby?
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.