Located in Coos County, New Hampshire, Carter Notch is a mountain pass at about 1,035 m (3,396 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Gorham, about 14.1 km (8.8 mi) away (Carter Notch lies S of town).
Carter Notch is a high mountain pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is traversed only by hiking trails. The notch is located in the Carter-Moriah Range within the White Mountain National Forest, in Bean's Purchase, Coos County, New Hampshire. It is bordered to the west by Wildcat Mountain (4,422 ft or 1,348 m), and to the east by Carter Dome (4,832 ft or 1,473 m). There are two small ponds in the notch, the Carter Lakes, as well as a large boulder field named The Ramparts. The ponds drain south through the talus barrier formed by The Ramparts. The height of land is to the north. To the north, the notch drains via Nineteenmile Brook, which flows into the Peabody River. Drainage to the south is into the Wildcat River, which flows into the Saco River. Located in the notch is the Appalachian Mountain Club's Carter Notch Hut (el. 3,288 ft or 1,000 m). The notch...From the Wikipedia article “Carter Notch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carter 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) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 55° NE | 8:33 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 123° ESE | 4:09 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:25 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Carter 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:11 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 1:13 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:14 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:07 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -27 | -32 | -21 | 7 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | -4 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Carter Notch, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dolly Copp Picnic Pavilion7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain Cabin7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Dolly Copp8.1 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Barnes Field Campground8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Wild River Campground11.5 km (7.1 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carter Notch?
What time is golden hour at Carter Notch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carter Notch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carter Notch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carter Notch?
How far is Carter Notch from Gorham?
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.