Located in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, East Rock is a mountain peak at about 100 m (328 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.9 km (1.8 mi) NE of New Haven.
East Rock of south-central Connecticut, United States, with a high point of 366 feet (112 m), is a 1.4-mile (2 km) long trap rock ridge located primarily in the neighborhood of East Rock on the north side of the city of New Haven. A prominent landscape feature and a popular outdoor recreation area with cliffs that rise 300 feet (91 m) over the city below, East Rock is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border. East Rock is the central feature of East Rock Park, a municipal park owned by the city of New Haven along the New Haven-Hamden town line.From the Wikipedia article “East Rock”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At East Rock the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 57° ENE | 8:29 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 121° ESE | 4:26 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 13m |
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 East Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:31 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:38 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:37 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 7:44 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.32 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 68 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -1 | 21 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
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 peak
- 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.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of East Rock, closest first.
Botanical Garden
State Park
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
State ParkLighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph East Rock?
What time is golden hour at East Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at East Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from East Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at East Rock?
How far is East Rock from New Haven?
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.