Located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Mount Holyoke is a mountain peak at about 271 m (889 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 4.6 km (2.9 mi) S of Hadley.
Mount Holyoke, a traprock mountain, elevation 935 feet (285 m), is the westernmost peak of the Holyoke Range and part of the 100-mile (160 km) Metacomet Ridge. The mountain is located in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, and is the namesake of nearby Mount Holyoke College. The mountain is located in the towns of Hadley and South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is known for its historic summit house, auto road, scenic vistas, and biodiversity. The mountain is crossed by the 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and numerous shorter trails. Mount Holyoke is the home of J.A. Skinner State Park which is accessible from Route 47 in Hadley, Massachusetts.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Holyoke”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Holyoke 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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 57° ENE | 8:31 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:22 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 | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:44 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 | 7:32 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 | 5:57 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 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 | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 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 | 4:20 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 Mount Holyoke, 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 ≈ 19.1 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
- 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 Mount Holyoke, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State ParkState Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Holyoke?
What time is golden hour at Mount Holyoke?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Holyoke?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Holyoke?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Holyoke?
How far is Mount Holyoke from Hadley?
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.