Traveler Mountain is a mountain peak in Piscataquis County, Maine at about 1,082 m (3,550 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Patten, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Traveler Mountain lies WNW of town).
Traveler Mountain is a mountain located in Piscataquis County, Maine, in Baxter State Park. The Traveler, is the eighth-most prominent in Maine. Subsidiary peaks include the Peak of the Ridges 3,225 ft (983 m) North and South Traveler Mountain 3,144 ft (958 m) and 2,677 ft (816 m), respectively. The Traveler stands within the watershed of the Penobscot River, which drains into Penobscot Bay on the coast of Maine. The east side of the Traveler drains into the East Branch of the Penobscot River. The north and west sides of the Traveler drain by several brooks into Trout Brook, then into Grand Lake Matagamon, the source of the East Branch of the Penobscot. The south side of the Traveler drains into the Pogy Brook, then into Wassataquoik Stream and the East Branch.From the Wikipedia article “Traveler Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Traveler Mountain 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° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:45 AM | 54° NE | 8:31 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 46m |
| 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 | 3:53 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 38m |
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 | 3:28 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 4:29 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 4:06 AM | 4:45 AM | 5:31 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 44m |
| July | 4:23 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:37 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:01 PM | 3:51 PM | 4:26 PM | 8h 40m |
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 Traveler Mountain, 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 | 4:51 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 3:52 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 12:44 AM – 2:44 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 2:00 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 12:41 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 10:44 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 8:41 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 56% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 48 | 46 | 69 | 74 | 85 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 76 | 66 | 56 |
| Low °F | -36 | -30 | -21 | 4 | 25 | 31 | 44 | 39 | 27 | 18 | -1 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Traveler Mountain, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Traveler Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Traveler Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Traveler Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Traveler Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Traveler Mountain?
How far is Traveler Mountain from Patten?
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.