Located in Addison County, Vermont, Mount Independence is a mountain peak at about 92 m (302 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 4.3 km (2.7 mi) SE of Ticonderoga. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mount Independence on Lake Champlain in Orwell, Vermont, was the site of extensive fortifications built during the American Revolutionary War by the American army to stop a British invasion. Construction began in July 1776, following the American defeat in Canada, and continued through the winter and spring of 1777. After the American retreat on July 5 and 6, 1777, British and Hessian troops occupied Mount Independence until November 1777. After the American Revolution, Mount Independence was farm land, used for grazing sheep and cattle. It is now a state historic site, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972 for its historical significance.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Independence (Vermont)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Independence 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 305° (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) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 56° NE | 8:40 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 123° ESE | 4:19 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Independence, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 3:16 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:25 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: 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 ≈ 21.12 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 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 Mount Independence, closest first.
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Lighthouse
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Lighthouse
Covered Bridge
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Independence?
What time is golden hour at Mount Independence?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Independence?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Independence?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Independence?
How far is Mount Independence from Ticonderoga?
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.