Mount Chocorua is a mountain peak in Carroll County, New Hampshire at about 1,060 m (3,478 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Tamworth, about 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away (Mount Chocorua lies N of town).
Mount Chocorua () is a 3,490 ft (1,060 m) mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range. Although the mountain is not outstanding for its elevation, it is very rugged and has excellent views of the surrounding lakes, mountains, and forests. Being at the end of the range, its bare summit can be seen from almost every direction and identified from many points throughout central New Hampshire and western Maine, and it has been the subject of numerous works of art. Many hiking trails ascend the mountain. Scenic Chocorua Lake lies directly to the south.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Chocorua”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Chocorua the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 56° NE | 8:32 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 123° ESE | 4:11 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Chocorua, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:09 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:55 PM – 2:35 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 1:11 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:13 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.5 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 | 59 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 84 | 94 | 105 | 94 | 93 | 79 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -23 | -23 | -19 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 44 | 35 | 20 | -3 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
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.
- 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 Chocorua, closest first.
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Lake
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White Ledge Campground4.8 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Covered Bridge6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Russell-Colbath Barn6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Radeke Cabin8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Waterville Campground18.9 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Chocorua?
What time is golden hour at Mount Chocorua?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Chocorua?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Chocorua?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Chocorua?
How far is Mount Chocorua from Tamworth?
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.