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Mountain Peaks in Connecticut

17 mountain peaks in Connecticut with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Capitol Planning Region has the most (12). The darkest skies are at Manitook Mountain (Bortle 5).

Top mountain peaks

Peak MountainMountain Peak
Peak MountainCapitol Planning Region · 177 m
Pinnacle RockMountain Peak
Pinnacle RockCapitol Planning Region · 180 m
Pistapaug MountainMountain Peak
Pistapaug MountainLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 197 m
Rattlesnake MountainMountain Peak
Rattlesnake MountainCapitol Planning Region · 229 m
Talcott MountainMountain Peak
Talcott MountainCapitol Planning Region · 276 m
Chauncey PeakMountain Peak
Chauncey PeakSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region · 190 m
Fowler MountainMountain Peak
Fowler MountainSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region · 225 m
Lamentation MountainMountain Peak
Lamentation MountainCapitol Planning Region · 188 m
Manitook MountainMountain Peak
Manitook MountainCapitol Planning Region · 119 m
East RockMountain Peak
East RockSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region · 100 m
Ragged MountainMountain Peak
Ragged MountainCapitol Planning Region · 217 m
Short MountainMountain Peak
Short MountainCapitol Planning Region · 140 m

Mountain Peaks by county

All mountain peaks (17)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Peak MountainCapitol Planning Region177 mSalmon Brook5
Pinnacle RockCapitol Planning Region180 mPlainville7
Pistapaug MountainLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region197 mWallingford Center6
Rattlesnake MountainCapitol Planning Region229 mFarmington7
Talcott MountainCapitol Planning Region276 mAvon7
Chauncey PeakSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region190 mMeriden7
Fowler MountainSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region225 mDurham6
Lamentation MountainCapitol Planning Region188 mMeriden7
Manitook MountainCapitol Planning Region119 mNorth Granby5
East RockSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region100 mNew Haven8
Ragged MountainCapitol Planning Region217 mKensington7
Short MountainCapitol Planning Region140 mSouthington7
West Suffield MountainCapitol Planning Region184 mSouthwick5
Bradley MountainCapitol Planning Region207 mPlainville7
Farmington MountainCapitol Planning Region153 mFarmington7
Hatchett HillCapitol Planning Region134 mTariffville5
Higby MountainLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region181 mMeriden6

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph mountain peaks

Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.

  • Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
  • Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
  • Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
  • Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
  • Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.

Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.