Located in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, Hurd State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Higganum, about 2.8 km (1.7 mi) away (Hurd State Park lies NNE of town).
Hurd State Park is a public recreation area lying adjacent to George Dudley Seymour State Park on the east bank of the Connecticut River in the town of East Hampton, Connecticut. In addition to offering hiking, picnicking, and mountain biking, it is one of four Connecticut state parks that offer primitive camping for boaters on the Connecticut River.From the Wikipedia article “Hurd State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hurd State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:28 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 121° ESE | 4:24 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Hurd State Park, 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 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 | 4:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:28 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 1:36 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:37 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:36 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 7:43 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 19.72 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 49% 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 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 68 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -1 | 21 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Hurd State Park, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hurd State Park?
What time is golden hour at Hurd State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hurd State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hurd State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hurd State Park?
How far is Hurd State Park from Higganum?
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.