Tripod Rock — a rock formation in Morris County, New Jersey — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Kinnelon, about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) away (Tripod Rock lies SSW of town).
Tripod Rock is a glacial erratic, in this specific case a balancing rock, or perched boulder, located in Kinnelon, New Jersey in the Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area. This multi-ton Precambrian gneiss boulder, located near the edge of a long ridge, is balanced on three smaller boulders. Tripod Rock is roughly 6 m (20 ft) long, 3 m (9.8 ft) wide, and 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) high, weighing approximately 127 tonnes (280,000 lb). A triangular crest runs the length of its top. The boulder is balanced on three smaller stones roughly 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in diameter that raise it above the bedrock by about 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) at its lowest point. The point of contact between the boulder and its support stones forms an approximate 3-4-5 triangle.From the Wikipedia article “Tripod Rock”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tripod Rock the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (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 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:33 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Tripod Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:43 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:51 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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 rock formation
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Tripod Rock, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Canyon
Lake
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tripod Rock?
What time is golden hour at Tripod Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tripod Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tripod Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tripod Rock?
How far is Tripod Rock from Kinnelon?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.