Located in Providence County, Rhode Island, Jerimoth Hill is a mountain peak at about 247 m (810 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) WSW of Foster.
Jerimoth Hill (812 ft, 247 m) is the highest point in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is the lowest state highpoint in New England. Located in the town of Foster in the northwest of the state, the site is used as an observatory. It is also a popular destination for highpointers, and prior to 2005 was known for being difficult to access due to a local landowner who prohibited entry.From the Wikipedia article “Jerimoth Hill”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jerimoth Hill 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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 57° ENE | 8:26 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Jerimoth Hill, 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 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:18 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:26 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 2:55 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 1:35 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:35 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 9:33 PM | 1.0 | 16° | 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: 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 ≈ 19.58 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 August as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August 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 | 58 | 54 | 67 | 82 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 81 | 72 | 65 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 9 | 24 | 36 | 44 | 54 | 55 | 47 | 31 | 17 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Jerimoth Hill, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lake
Covered Bridge
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jerimoth Hill?
What time is golden hour at Jerimoth Hill?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jerimoth Hill?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jerimoth Hill?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jerimoth Hill?
How far is Jerimoth Hill from Foster?
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.