Mahoosuc Notch is a mountain pass in Oxford County, Maine at about 771 m (2,530 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Milan, about 16.0 km (9.9 mi) away (Mahoosuc Notch lies ESE of town).
Mahoosuc Notch is a deep gap in the Mahoosuc Range of western Maine in the United States. It is traversed by the Appalachian Trail and is notable for being a particularly difficult section for thru-hikers.From the Wikipedia article “Mahoosuc Notch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mahoosuc 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) | 5:00 AM | 55° NE | 8:33 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| 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 28m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 6:01 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 | 5:14 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:39 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Mahoosuc 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 ≈ 21.7 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mahoosuc Notch, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Covered BridgeWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hastings Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Wild River Campground27 km (17 mi)
- Barnes Field Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Dolly Copp29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Dolly Copp Picnic Pavilion30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mahoosuc Notch?
What time is golden hour at Mahoosuc Notch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mahoosuc Notch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mahoosuc Notch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mahoosuc Notch?
How far is Mahoosuc 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.