River Highlands State Park is a state park in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut. The nearest town is Cromwell, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (River Highlands State Park lies NNE of town).
River Highlands State Park is a public recreation area located on the west bank of the Connecticut River in the town of Cromwell, Connecticut. The 177-acre (72 ha) state park is managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.From the Wikipedia article “River Highlands State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At River Highlands 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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:29 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 121° ESE | 4:24 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:56 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 River Highlands 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 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:21 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:29 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:07 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:38 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 7:44 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: 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 ≈ 18.88 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.
- 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 River Highlands State Park, closest first.
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Waterfall
Lake
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Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph River Highlands State Park?
What time is golden hour at River Highlands State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at River Highlands State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from River Highlands State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at River Highlands State Park?
How far is River Highlands State Park from Cromwell?
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.