Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich, Massachusetts, 2014.
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41.7500° N70.0717° WBortle 5New York

Cape Cod Rail Trail Photography Guide

State Park in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

  • Bortle 5 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 239°–303°
  • Clearest: September
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Cape Cod Rail Trail is a state park. It sits roughly 1.5 km (0.9 mi) SE of Brewster.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) is a 25.5-mile (41.0 km) paved rail trail located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The trail route passes through the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet. It connects to the 6-plus mile (10 km) Old Colony Rail Trail leading to Chatham, the 2 mile Yarmouth multi-use trail, and 8 miles (13 km) of trails within Nickerson State Park. Short side trips on roads lead to national seashore beaches including Coast Guard Beach at the end of the Nauset Bike Trail in Cape Cod National Seashore. The trail is part of the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway.From the Wikipedia article “Cape Cod Rail Trail”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Brewster
1.5 km (0.9 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 5
Suburban sky
Clearest month
September
50% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.3 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:23 PM
sunset 6:00 PM

Light at Cape Cod Rail Trail

Live
Sunrise
6:59 AM
Sunset
5:53 PM
Golden hour AM
6:41 AM – 7:37 AM
Golden hour PM
5:15 PM – 6:10 PM
Blue hour AM
6:30 AM – 6:41 AM
Blue hour PM
6:10 PM – 6:21 PM
Full darkness
7:26 PM – 5:27 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 69%
Moonrise / set
3:11 PM / 12:50 AM
Day length
10h 54m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Cape Cod Rail Trail 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)6:45 AM90° E6:53 PM271° W48°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:06 AM57° ENE8:19 PM303° WNW72°15h 13m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:28 AM89° E6:39 PM271° W49°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:05 AM122° ESE4:13 PM239° WSW25°9h 08m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January6:35 AM7:06 AM7:49 AM3:52 PM4:35 PM5:05 PM9h 29m
February6:08 AM6:37 AM7:16 AM4:35 PM5:14 PM5:42 PM10h 37m
March6:25 AM6:53 AM7:30 AM6:10 PM6:47 PM7:15 PM11h 54m
April5:32 AM6:01 AM6:38 AM6:44 PM7:21 PM7:50 PM13h 20m
May4:50 AM5:21 AM6:01 AM7:14 PM7:54 PM8:25 PM14h 32m
June4:32 AM5:06 AM5:48 AM7:35 PM8:17 PM8:52 PM15h 12m
July4:46 AM5:19 AM6:00 AM7:33 PM8:14 PM8:47 PM14h 55m
August5:19 AM5:49 AM6:28 AM7:04 PM7:42 PM8:12 PM13h 53m
September5:53 AM6:21 AM6:58 AM6:15 PM6:52 PM7:20 PM12h 31m
October6:25 AM6:53 AM7:31 AM5:23 PM6:00 PM6:29 PM11h 08m
November6:00 AM6:30 AM7:12 AM3:40 PM4:21 PM4:51 PM9h 51m
December6:30 AM7:01 AM7:46 AM3:27 PM4:11 PM4:43 PM9h 10m

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 Cape Cod Rail Trail, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—10°—
March4:09 AM – 5:09 AM1.016°SE → SSE
April2:11 AM – 4:11 AM2.019°SE → S
May12:19 AM – 3:19 AM3.019°SSE → S
June10:28 PM – 2:48 AM4.319°SSE → SSW
July10:18 PM – 1:28 AM3.219°S → SW
August9:28 PM – 11:28 PM2.019°S → SW
September8:26 PM – 9:26 PM1.016°SSW → SW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—10°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-1°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 20.29 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (69%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

Average cloud cover (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F565462727687898681766763
Low °F2113293949586051382212
Precip. (in)3.53.64.24.13.43.63.03.03.84.54.24.4

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

  • 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.
  • Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.

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 Cape Cod Rail Trail, closest first.

Nickerson State ParkState Park
Nickerson State Park3.4 km away · Barnstable County
Follins PondLake
Follins Pond10 km away · Barnstable County · 2 m
Stage Harbor LightLighthouse
Stage Harbor Light13 km away · Barnstable County
Chatham LightLighthouse
Chatham Light13 km away · Barnstable County
Billingsgate Island LightLighthouse
Billingsgate Island Light14 km away · Barnstable County
West Dennis LightLighthouse
West Dennis Light14 km away · Barnstable County
Beach
Cooks Brook Beach14 km away · Barnstable County
Doane RockRock Formation
Doane Rock14 km away · Barnstable County
Beach
Nauset Beach15 km away · Barnstable County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Cape Cod Rail Trail?
September has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
What time is golden hour at Cape Cod Rail Trail?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:23 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:00 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 7:31 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Cape Cod Rail Trail?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 57° in June to 122° in December; sunset ranges from 303° to 239°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Cape Cod Rail Trail?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 5 (suburban sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cape Cod Rail Trail?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Cape Cod Rail Trail from Brewster?
About 1.5 km (0.9 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.