Located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Mount Watatic is a mountain peak at about 558 m (1,831 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.3 km (3.9 mi) WNW of Ashby.
Mount Watatic is a 1,832-foot (558 m) monadnock located just south of the Massachusetts–New Hampshire border, in the United States, at the southern end of the Wapack Range. It lies in Ashburnham, Massachusetts and Ashby, Massachusetts. The 22-mile (35 km) Wapack Trail and the 92-mile (148 km) Midstate Trail both cross the mountain. The name is probably a corruption of the Native American term Wetu-tick, "wigwam brook", and probably applied first to the nearby large stream and thereafter to the mountain and the pond. The east and south side of the mountain drains into the Souhegan River watershed, to the Merrimack River thence the Atlantic Ocean; the west and north sides drain into the Millers River watershed, to the Connecticut River, thence into Long Island Sound. Mount Watatic was the site of a ski area that operated from the 1930s until 1984. An attempt to reopen the ski area in...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Watatic”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Watatic the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (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) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 56° ENE | 8:30 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 122° ESE | 4:17 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Watatic, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:45 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.08 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 May as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 64 | 65 | 75 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 98 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -12 | -15 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 22 | 10 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Watatic, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock Formation
State Park
State Park
State ParkMountain Peak
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Edward Macdowell Lake Day Use Facilities23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Tully Lake Recreation Area (Ma)27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Watatic?
What time is golden hour at Mount Watatic?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Watatic?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Watatic?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Watatic?
How far is Mount Watatic from Ashby?
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.