Lamentation Mountain is a mountain peak in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut at about 188 m (617 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.5 km (3.4 mi) NE of Meriden.
Lamentation Mountain, or Mount Lamentation, 720 feet (220 m), is a traprock mountain located 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north 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. Lamentation Mountain is known for its scenic vistas, extensive cliff faces, unique microclimate ecosystems, and rare plant communities. It rises steeply 550 feet (170 m) above the city of Meriden to the south with west-facing cliffs of 200 feet (61 m) or more. The cliff line, described by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association as "perhaps the most scenic traprock ridge walk in the state" is a prominent landscape feature visible for miles. The mountain is traversed by the 50-mile (80 km) Mattabesett Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Lamentation Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lamentation 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 | 7:59 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 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 20m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Lamentation 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.92 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Lamentation Mountain, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lamentation Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Lamentation Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lamentation Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lamentation Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lamentation Mountain?
How far is Lamentation Mountain from Meriden?
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.