Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site — a state park in Orange County, New York — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Vails Gate, about 600 m away (Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site lies E of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site, in the town of New Windsor, New York, consists of the Georgian house of the Ellison family, built in 1754 by immigrant William Bull of Hamptonburgh, New York, and the grounds around it. The site is located on Old Forge Hill Road, just south of Route 94 east of Vails Gate. Although most closely associated with Founding Father Henry Knox, who used it as his headquarters as the Revolutionary War drew to a close in the early 1780s, it was used as a general's headquarters throughout most of the war, by Nathanael Greene and Horatio Gates. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972. While owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation the Ellison House is administered and operated by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, like many other state parks and historic sites in the mid and lower Hudson region.From the Wikipedia article “Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (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.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 57° ENE | 8:34 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:30 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:26 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:34 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:12 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:42 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:43 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:42 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.9 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 90 | 88 | 94 | 99 | 101 | 95 | 88 | 76 | 67 |
| Low °F | -14 | -19 | -8 | 18 | 28 | 37 | 47 | 48 | 37 | 21 | 5 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
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 Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Lighthouse
Lake
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site?
How far is Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site from Vails Gate?
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.