Located in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Talcott Mountain is a mountain peak at about 276 m (906 ft) above sea level. It is part of Talcott Mountain State Park. The nearest town is Avon, about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away (Talcott Mountain lies ENE of town).
Talcott Mountain is a 950-foot (290 m) high point in central Connecticut, lying along a 13-mile (21 km) trap rock ridge 6 miles (10 km) west of the city of Hartford. A prominent landscape feature, the ridge forms a continuous line of exposed western cliffs visible across the Farmington River valley from Farmington to Simsbury. Talcott Mountain 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. A popular outdoor recreation resource, Talcott Mountain is known for its microclimate ecosystems, rare plant communities, and expansive views from cliffs that tower up to 700 ft (213 m) above the surrounding landscape. Talcott Mountain encompasses two state parks, several municipal recreation areas and reservoirs, a science center and school, a...From the Wikipedia article “Talcott Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Talcott Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (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 | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:30 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 122° ESE | 4:24 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 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 | 7:26 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Talcott Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | 4:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:22 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:30 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:39 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 18.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Talcott Mountain, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Talcott Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Talcott Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Talcott Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Talcott Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Talcott Mountain?
How far is Talcott Mountain from Avon?
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.