Mount Madison — a mountain peak in Coos County, New Hampshire at about 1,635 m (5,364 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gorham, about 10.7 km (6.6 mi) away (Mount Madison lies SW of town).
Mount Madison is a 5,367-foot (1,636 m) mountain in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire in the United States. It is named after the fourth U.S. President, James Madison. Mountains in the Presidential Range are named for U.S. presidents, with the tallest (Mount Washington) named for the first president, the second tallest (Mount Adams) for the second president, and so on. However, due to a surveying error, Mount Monroe, named after the fifth president, James Monroe, is actually 22 feet (6.7 m) taller than Mount Madison. There are many hiking trails on the mountain. A stretch of the Appalachian Trail traverses just below its summit on the Osgood Trail. The Madison Spring Hut, maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club, is nestled between Mount Madison and Mount Adams and provides rustic lodging in the summer. Reservations generally need to be made far in advance. Mount Madison...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Madison”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Madison the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 55° NE | 8:34 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 123° ESE | 4:09 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:25 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Madison, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:11 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 1:13 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:14 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:07 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.66 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -27 | -32 | -21 | 7 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | -4 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Madison, closest first.
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dolly Copp4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Dolly Copp Picnic Pavilion4.9 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Barnes Field Campground4.9 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain Cabin16.8 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Wild River Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Madison?
What time is golden hour at Mount Madison?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Madison?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Madison?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Madison?
How far is Mount Madison from Gorham?
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.