South Carter Mountain — a mountain peak in Coos County, New Hampshire at about 1,350 m (4,429 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gorham, about 10.9 km (6.8 mi) away (South Carter Mountain lies S of town).
South Carter Mountain is a mountain located in Coos County, New Hampshire. The mountain is part of the Carter-Moriah Range of the White Mountains, which runs along the northern east side of Pinkham Notch. South Carter is flanked to the northeast by Middle Carter Mountain and to the southeast Mount Hight.From the Wikipedia article “South Carter Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At South Carter Mountain 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 | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 55° NE | 8:33 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 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 14m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:58 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 | 7:59 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 53m |
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 South Carter Mountain, 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
- 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.
- 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 South Carter Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dolly Copp Picnic Pavilion5.1 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Dolly Copp5.9 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Barnes Field Campground6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Wild River Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi)
- Black Mountain Cabin10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph South Carter Mountain?
What time is golden hour at South Carter Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at South Carter Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from South Carter Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at South Carter Mountain?
How far is South Carter Mountain 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.