Hamlin Peak — a mountain peak in Piscataquis County, Maine at about 1,446 m (4,744 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 34 km (21 mi) NNW of Millinocket.
Hamlin Peak is a 4,756-foot (1,450 m) mountain located in Baxter State Park in Piscataquis County, Maine. Hamlin Peak is a northern spur of the greater Mount Katahdin massif and is flanked to the south by Baxter Peak, and to the north by the Howe Peaks. Since it rises nearly 500 feet (150 m) above the col joining it to the higher Baxter Peak, Hamlin Peak qualifies as a four-thousand footer based on the topographic prominence criterion used by the Appalachian Mountain Club, and is ranked as the second-highest peak in Maine. The southeast face of Hamlin Peak drains into the Great Basin, where water ultimately flows into the Penobscot River and eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Penobscot Bay. There are several trails that lead to or near the summit of Hamlin Peak.From the Wikipedia article “Hamlin Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hamlin Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:40 AM | 90° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:46 AM | 54° NE | 8:30 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 124° SE | 3:54 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 4:30 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:07 AM | 4:45 AM | 5:32 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 4:24 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:38 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:02 PM | 3:52 PM | 4:27 PM | 8h 41m |
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 Hamlin Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 3:53 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 12:45 AM – 2:45 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 2:01 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 12:42 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 10:45 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 53 | 48 | 73 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 92 | 90 | 89 | 79 | 67 | 58 |
| Low °F | -33 | -27 | -22 | 7 | 27 | 35 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 22 | 1 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Hamlin Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hamlin Peak?
What time is golden hour at Hamlin Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hamlin Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hamlin Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hamlin Peak?
How far is Hamlin Peak from Millinocket?
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.