Mount Monadnock is a mountain peak in Cheshire County, New Hampshire at about 941 m (3,087 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) SW of Dublin.
Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is a mountain in the town of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. It is the most prominent mountain peak in southern New Hampshire and is the highest point in Cheshire County. It lies 38 miles (61 km) southwest of Concord and 62 miles (100 km) northwest of Boston. At 3,165 feet (965 m), Mount Monadnock is nearly 1,000 feet (305 m) higher than any other mountain peak within 30 miles (48 km) and rises 2,000 feet (610 m) above the surrounding landscape. Monadnock's bare, isolated, and rocky summit provides expansive views. It is known for being featured in the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Monadnock”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Monadnock 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) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° ENE | 8:31 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:18 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Monadnock, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.71 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Monadnock, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Lake
State Park
Lake
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Edward Macdowell Lake Day Use Facilities10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Otter Brook Lake Recreation Area15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Surry Mountain Lake Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Surry Mountain Lake Beach24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Tully Lake Recreation Area (Ma)26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Monadnock?
What time is golden hour at Mount Monadnock?
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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.