Located in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Monadnock State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) WNW of Jaffrey.
Monadnock State Park in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, United States, is a 1,017-acre (4.12 km2) state park located on and around 3,165-foot (965 m) Mount Monadnock. The park is surrounded by thousands of acres of protected highlands. The park is open to hiking, picnicking, camping, backpacking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Backcountry skiing is possible on some of the lower trails. There are two campgrounds. A per-person fee is charged (in season) to park at the Old Toll Road and State Park Headquarters trailheads. There are no roads to the summit, and the Old Toll Road, which leads to the Halfway House site, is closed to vehicles. In 1987, Mount Monadnock was designated a National Natural Landmark.From the Wikipedia article “Monadnock State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Monadnock State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) 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) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° ENE | 8:31 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:18 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Monadnock State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:45 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:26 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.65 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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 Monadnock State Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Lake
State Park
Lake
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered BridgeMountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Edward Macdowell Lake Day Use Facilities10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Otter Brook Lake Recreation Area17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Tully Lake Recreation Area (Ma)25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Surry Mountain Lake Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Surry Mountain Lake Beach26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Monadnock State Park?
What time is golden hour at Monadnock State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Monadnock State Park?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Monadnock State Park?
How far is Monadnock State Park from Jaffrey?
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.