Franconia Notch — a mountain pass in Grafton County, New Hampshire — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.7 km (5.4 mi) SW of Deerfield.
Franconia Notch (elev. 1,950 feet/590 m) is a major mountain pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Dominated by Cannon Mountain to the west and Mount Lafayette to the east, it lies principally within Franconia Notch State Park and is traversed by the Franconia Notch Parkway (Interstate 93 and U.S. Route 3). The parkway required a special act of Congress to sidestep design standards for the Interstate highway system because it is only one lane in each direction. The notch was home to the Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation which collapsed in 2003 but whose profile remains a symbol of the state of New Hampshire.From the Wikipedia article “Franconia Notch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Franconia Notch 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) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 56° NE | 8:35 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 123° ESE | 4:12 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
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:43 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 Franconia 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 | 4:40 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:07 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 3:13 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:15 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:09 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 ≈ 21.5 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Franconia Notch, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
State Park
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wildwood13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Hancock Campground (Nh)14.1 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Big Rock16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Sugarloaf 2 Campground17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Sugarloaf 1 Campground17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Franconia Notch?
What time is golden hour at Franconia Notch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Franconia Notch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Franconia Notch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Franconia Notch?
How far is Franconia Notch from Deerfield?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.