Located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Bare Mountain is a mountain peak at about 301 m (988 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to New England National Scenic Trail, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is South Amherst, about 4.6 km (2.9 mi) away (Bare Mountain lies SSW of town).
Bare Mountain, 1,014 feet (309 m) above sea level, is a prominent peak of the Holyoke Range of traprock mountains located in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts, and part of the greater Metacomet Ridge that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. The peak rises steeply from the river valley 1,000 feet (300 m) below; its bald summit offers sweeping views. Bare Mountain is located within the towns of Amherst and South Hadley, Massachusetts. Part of its northeastern flanks are in Hadley and part of its southern flanks are in Granby. It is traversed by the 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Bare Mountain (Massachusetts)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bare 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 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 57° ENE | 8:31 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:21 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 8:01 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Bare Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:22 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.3 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bare Mountain, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
State Park
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Lake
Botanical Garden
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bare Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Bare Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bare Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bare Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bare Mountain?
How far is Bare Mountain from South Amherst?
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.