Dorset Mountain — a mountain peak in Rutland County, Vermont at about 1,148 m (3,766 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Danby, about 4.9 km (3.0 mi) away (Dorset Mountain lies SSW of town).
Dorset Mountain, on the border of Rutland and Bennington counties in Vermont, is part of the Taconic Range. The summit of Dorset Mountain is in Danby. An unmaintained hiking trail ascends from the southwest. Dorset Mountain was the site of an unsuccessfully proposed alpine ski resort project in the 1960s.From the Wikipedia article “Dorset Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dorset Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:37 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Dorset Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:18 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 75 | 82 | 86 | 94 | 97 | 92 | 90 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -32 | -24 | -19 | 5 | 26 | 32 | 44 | 44 | 33 | 20 | -2 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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.
- 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 Dorset Mountain, closest first.
State Park
Natural Arch
Lake
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Cave
Rock Formation
Mountain PeakWilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hapgood Pond12.6 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Winhall Brook Camping Area24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Grout Pond Campground30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dorset Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Dorset Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dorset Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dorset Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dorset Mountain?
How far is Dorset Mountain from Danby?
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.