Mount Tom is a mountain peak in Hampden County, Massachusetts at about 363 m (1,191 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Easthampton, about 3.3 km (2.1 mi) away (Mount Tom lies SSE of town).
Mount Tom, 1,202 feet (366 m), is a steep, rugged traprock mountain peak on the west bank of the Connecticut River 4.5 miles (7 km) northwest of downtown Holyoke, Massachusetts. The mountain is the southernmost and highest peak of the Mount Tom Range and the highest traprock peak of the 100-mile (160 km) long Metacomet Ridge. A popular outdoor recreation resource, the mountain is known for its continuous line of cliffs and talus slopes visible from the south and west, its dramatic 1,100-foot (340 m) rise over the surrounding Connecticut River Valley, and its rare plant communities and microclimate ecosystems. Located in Easthampton and Holyoke, Mount Tom is traversed by the 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and is the transmitter location for three Springfield–Holyoke television stations: WGBY, WGGB, and WSHM-LD, and for radio stations WHYN-FM and WWEI. The name "Mount Tom"...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Tom (Massachusetts)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Tom 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 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 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 | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 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 | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 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 | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Tom, 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 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:24 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:33 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:28 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: 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 ≈ 18.77 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Mount Tom, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
State Park
Lake
Botanical Garden
State Park
Mountain Peak
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Tom?
What time is golden hour at Mount Tom?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Tom?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Tom?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Tom?
How far is Mount Tom from Easthampton?
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.