Overlook Mountain — a mountain peak in Ulster County, New York at about 956 m (3,136 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Woodstock, about 5.4 km (3.4 mi) away (Overlook Mountain lies NNE of town).
Overlook Mountain is the southernmost peak of the Catskill Escarpment in the central Catskill Mountains near Woodstock, New York. The centerpiece of the 590-acre (240 ha) Overlook Mountain Wild Forest area of Catskill Park, the mountain is the site of one of the remaining five Catskill Mountain fire towers and the Overlook Mountain House, a hotel which was built at a higher elevation than any other in the range.From the Wikipedia article “Overlook Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Overlook Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 57° ENE | 8:36 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:28 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Overlook Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:37 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:45 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 53% 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 | 61 | 70 | 72 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 92 | 95 | 91 | 83 | 71 | 66 |
| Low °F | -21 | -17 | -16 | 9 | 26 | 34 | 44 | 44 | 32 | 17 | -3 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Overlook Mountain, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Overlook Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Overlook Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Overlook Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Overlook Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Overlook Mountain?
How far is Overlook Mountain from Woodstock?
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.