Stony Clove Notch — a mountain pass in Greene County, New York at about 633 m (2,077 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 15.0 km (9.3 mi) W of Palenville.
Stony Clove Notch is a narrow pass, roughly 2,220 feet (677 m) in elevation located in the town of Hunter in Greene County, New York, deep in the Catskill Mountains. It is traversed by New York State Route 214, although in the past the Ulster and Delaware Railroad went through it as well. The notch divides Hunter and Plateau mountains. There is just enough room for the road, and the steep, soaring slopes of both mountains are some of the Catskills' most striking scenery, with landslides and rocky cliffs visible. It sits at one end of the range of mountains known as the Devil's Path, and early visitors found it a terrifying place to visit. Today it is a popular destination not only for tourists in the region but for outdoor recreationists as well. One of the Catskills' major hiking trails crosses the road near the notch, and ice climbers and snowboarders have lately been attracted to...From the Wikipedia article “Stony Clove Notch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stony Clove Notch the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 57° ENE | 8:37 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 122° ESE | 4:28 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Stony Clove Notch, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:30 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:39 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 53% 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 | 61 | 70 | 72 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 92 | 95 | 91 | 83 | 71 | 66 |
| Low °F | -21 | -17 | -16 | 9 | 26 | 34 | 44 | 44 | 32 | 17 | -3 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
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.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- 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 Stony Clove Notch, closest first.
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WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stony Clove Notch?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Stony Clove Notch?
How far is Stony Clove Notch from Palenville?
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.