Killington Peak — a mountain peak in Rutland County, Vermont at about 1,288 m (4,226 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mendon, about 10.2 km (6.3 mi) away (Killington Peak lies ESE of town).
Killington Peak is the second highest summit in the Green Mountains and in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is located east of Rutland in south-central Vermont. Killington Peak is a stop on the Long Trail, which here shares its route with the Appalachian Trail. Traveling southbound on the Trail, it is the last 4,000-foot (1,200 m) peak close to the trail until Virginia. A ski resort, Killington Ski Resort, nicknamed "the beast of the east", is located on the mountain. A gondola transports skiers and non-hikers to the summit in winter, summer, and during fall leaf peeping season. There is a lodge near the peak which is complete with a restaurant and bar with panoramic views.From the Wikipedia article “Killington Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Killington Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° NE | 8:37 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 123° ESE | 4:18 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Killington Peak, 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.7 | 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 | 10:55 PM – 2:45 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 1:23 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.38 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 72 | 82 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -21 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 42 | 30 | 18 | 1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 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
- 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 Killington Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
State Park
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Killington Peak?
What time is golden hour at Killington Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Killington Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Killington Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Killington Peak?
How far is Killington Peak from Mendon?
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.