Alewife Brook Reservation — a state park in Middlesex County, Massachusetts — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.8 km (1.1 mi) W of West Somerville/Davis Square.
Alewife Brook Reservation is a Massachusetts state park and urban wild located in Cambridge, Arlington, and Somerville. The park is managed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and was established in 1900. It is named for Alewife Brook, which was also historically known as Menotomy River (the village of Menotomy is now Arlington), a tributary of the Mystic River.From the Wikipedia article “Alewife Brook Reservation”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alewife Brook Reservation the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 57° ENE | 8:26 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 122° ESE | 4:15 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:48 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Alewife Brook Reservation, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:18 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 3:19 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 9:23 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.64 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and May 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 | 64 | 65 | 75 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 98 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -12 | -15 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 22 | 10 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 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 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 Alewife Brook Reservation, closest first.
Lake
Lake
State Park
State Park
Beach
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alewife Brook Reservation?
What time is golden hour at Alewife Brook Reservation?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alewife Brook Reservation?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alewife Brook Reservation?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alewife Brook Reservation?
How far is Alewife Brook Reservation from West Somerville/Davis Square?
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.