Fowler Mountain is a mountain peak in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut at about 225 m (738 ft) above sea level. It is part of Tri-Mountain State Park. It sits roughly 6.5 km (4.0 mi) SW of Durham.
Fowler Mountain, est. 750 feet (230 m), is a traprock mountain located 7 miles (11 km) southeast of the center of Meriden, Connecticut. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border. Fowler Mountain is known for its rugged topography, unique microclimate ecosystems, and rare plant communities. It rises steeply 300 feet (91 m) above the Ulbrich Reservoir and the Quinnipiac River valley to the west. The mountain is traversed by the 50-mile (80 km) Mattabesett Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Fowler Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fowler Mountain 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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 57° ENE | 8:29 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 121° ESE | 4:25 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 7:58 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Fowler Mountain, 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 6 (bright suburban 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:21 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:29 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:07 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:38 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.32 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Fowler Mountain, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fowler Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Fowler Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fowler Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fowler Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fowler Mountain?
How far is Fowler Mountain from Durham?
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.