Fort Halifax — a state park in Kennebec County, Maine — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Winslow, about 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away (Fort Halifax lies SW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Halifax is a former British outpost on the banks of the Sebasticook River, just above its mouth at the Kennebec River, in Winslow, Maine. Originally built as a wooden palisaded fort in 1754, during the French and Indian War, only a single blockhouse survives. The oldest blockhouse in the United States, it is preserved as Fort Halifax State Historic Site, and is open to the public in the warmer months. The fort guarded Wabanaki canoe routes that reached to the St. Lawrence and Penobscot Valleys via the Chaudière-Kennebec and Sebasticook-Souadabscook rivers. The blockhouse was declared a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Halifax (Maine)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Halifax the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:43 AM | 90° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:54 AM | 55° NE | 8:28 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 123° ESE | 4:02 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:38 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:17 AM | 4:54 AM | 5:39 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 4:33 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:25 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:44 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:12 PM | 4:00 PM | 4:33 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Fort Halifax, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 6 (bright 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:00 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 2:56 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:00 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:00 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:01 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.19 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 May as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 55 | 51 | 75 | 78 | 84 | 90 | 93 | 96 | 97 | 81 | 67 | 63 |
| Low °F | -28 | -27 | -21 | 13 | 27 | 36 | 47 | 45 | 33 | 22 | 3 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Fort Halifax, closest first.
Lake
Covered Bridge
State Park
Botanical Garden
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Halifax?
What time is golden hour at Fort Halifax?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Halifax?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Halifax?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Halifax?
How far is Fort Halifax from Winslow?
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.