Located in Oxford County, Maine, Grafton Notch is a mountain pass at about 488 m (1,601 ft) above sea level. It is part of Grafton Notch State Park. The nearest town is Milan, about 19.0 km (11.8 mi) away (Grafton Notch lies E of town).
Grafton Notch is a notch, or mountain pass, located in Oxford County, Maine. The notch demarks the northeastern end of the Mahoosuc Range, and thus of the White Mountains. Maine State Route 26 passes through the notch. North of the drainage divide, the notch drains into the Swift Cambridge River, then into the Dead Cambridge River and Umbagog Lake, the source of the Androscoggin River, which drains into Merrymeeting Bay, the estuary of the Kennebec River, and thence into the Gulf of Maine. To the south, the notch drains into the Bear River, then into the Androscoggin. Maine's Grafton Notch State Park includes the land along the bottom of the notch, and extends as far south as the summit of Old Speck Mountain on the southwest side of the notch. On the northeast side, it includes the lowest slopes of Baldpate Mountain. The Appalachian Trail, a 2,170 miles (3,490 km) National Scenic...From the Wikipedia article “Grafton Notch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grafton Notch 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 | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:59 AM | 55° NE | 8:33 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 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
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:43 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:59 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 | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:39 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Grafton Notch, 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 ≈ 21.76 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 51 | 59 | 72 | 76 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 89 | 85 | 78 | 67 | 56 |
| Low °F | -25 | -31 | -23 | 9 | 26 | 34 | 46 | 42 | 31 | 21 | -2 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
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 mountain pass
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Grafton Notch, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
LakeWaterfallWaterfall
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grafton Notch?
What time is golden hour at Grafton Notch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grafton Notch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grafton Notch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grafton Notch?
How far is Grafton Notch 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.