Located in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Rumney Marsh Reservation is a state park. The nearest town is Revere, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Rumney Marsh Reservation lies NNE of town).
Rumney Marsh Reservation is a Massachusetts state reservation managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in the town of Saugus and city of Revere. DCR's 2012 acreage listing records the reservation at 815 acres (330 ha), while the agency describes Rumney Marsh as a 600-acre (240 ha) salt marsh within the Saugus River and Pines River estuary. The reservation forms part of the larger Rumney Marsh estuarine wetland complex and lies within the state-designated Rumney Marshes Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The approximately 2,800-acre (1,100 ha) ACEC extends through Boston, Lynn, Revere, Saugus, and Winthrop, and includes both Rumney Marsh and Belle Isle Marsh.From the Wikipedia article “Rumney Marsh Reservation”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rumney Marsh 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) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 57° ENE | 8:25 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 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 | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Rumney Marsh 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 | 4:25 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:28 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 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 ≈ 17.85 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
- 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 Rumney Marsh Reservation, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rumney Marsh Reservation?
What time is golden hour at Rumney Marsh Reservation?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rumney Marsh Reservation?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rumney Marsh Reservation?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rumney Marsh Reservation?
How far is Rumney Marsh Reservation from Revere?
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.