Located in Warren County, New Jersey, Mount Tammany is a mountain peak at about 465 m (1,526 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.8 km (4.2 mi) ESE of East Stroudsburg.
Mount Tammany is the southernmost peak of the Kittatinny Mountains, in Knowlton Township, Warren County, New Jersey, United States. It is 1,526 feet (465 m) tall, and forms the east side of the Delaware Water Gap. Across the Gap is Mount Minsi, on the Pennsylvania side of the river. The mountain is named after the Lenni Lenape chief Tamanend. It lies along the Appalachian Trail in Worthington State Forest. The summit can be hiked by the Mount Tammany Trail ascending the western slopes. The trailhead is accessible from Interstate 80, with two parking lots (an Appalachian Trailhead lot and auxiliary lot).From the Wikipedia article “Mount Tammany”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Tammany the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:36 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Tammany, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:12 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 7:52 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 52% 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 | 65 | 73 | 76 | 90 | 89 | 95 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 94 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | -7 | -11 | -8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 49 | 50 | 38 | 24 | 10 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 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.
- 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 Tammany, closest first.
Mountain Peak
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Fire LookoutWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Worthington State Forest Campground5.4 km (3.3 mi)
- Alosa Campsites17.0 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Rivers Bend Group Campground18.6 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Valley View Group Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Tammany?
What time is golden hour at Mount Tammany?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Tammany?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Tammany?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Tammany?
How far is Mount Tammany from East Stroudsburg?
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.