Located in Addison County, Vermont, Middlebury Gap is a mountain pass. It sits roughly 12.8 km (8.0 mi) ENE of Salisbury.
Middlebury Gap, is a mountain pass in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The height of land of the pass is located in Addison County. On the southeast side of the height of land, the notch is drained by the Robbins Branch, thence into the Hancock Branch of the White River, which drains into the Connecticut River, and into Long Island Sound in Connecticut. To the northwest, the notch is the source of the South Branch of the Middlebury River, which drains into Otter Creek, and into Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain drains into the Richelieu River in Québec, thence into the Saint Lawrence River, and into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The Long Trail, a 272-mile (438-km) hiking trail running the length of Vermont, crosses Middlebury Gap between 3,234-foot (986 m) Worth Mountain, 2 mi (3 km) to the south, and 3,323-foot (1,013 m) Boyce Mountain, 2.5 mi (4 km) to the north. The Breadloaf Wilderness...From the Wikipedia article “Middlebury Gap”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Middlebury Gap 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 56° NE | 8:39 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 123° ESE | 4:17 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Middlebury Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 3:16 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 2:42 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:18 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:20 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:13 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 ≈ 21.64 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 72 | 82 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -21 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 42 | 30 | 18 | 1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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 Middlebury Gap, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
Lake
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Moosalamoo Campground6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Silver Lake Campground9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Chittenden Brook Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Middlebury Gap?
What time is golden hour at Middlebury Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Middlebury Gap?
Can you see the Milky Way from Middlebury Gap?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Middlebury Gap?
How far is Middlebury Gap from Salisbury?
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.