Emerald Lake State Park — a state park in Bennington County, Vermont — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Danby, about 7.5 km (4.7 mi) away (Emerald Lake State Park lies S of town).
Emerald Lake State Park is a 430-acre (170 ha) state park in the town of Dorset, Vermont, United States, 3 miles (5 km) north of the village of East Dorset, the park's mailing address. It is the home of 20-acre (8.1 ha) Emerald Lake, called such because of its emerald color. Activities includes swimming, non-motorized boating, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, bicycling, wildlife watching, and winter sports. Facilities include 67 campsites and 37 lean-tos, flush toilets, hot showers, and a dump station. There is a small beach with a snack bar and boat rental facilities, a picnic pavilion with two group grills and a smaller grill, other picnic tables, and a horseshoe pit. There is a nature center, and park rangers offer interpretive programs including night hikes, campfire programs, amphibian explorations, and nature crafts and games.From the Wikipedia article “Emerald Lake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Emerald Lake State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Emerald Lake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:18 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.46 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 75 | 82 | 86 | 94 | 97 | 92 | 90 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -32 | -24 | -19 | 5 | 26 | 32 | 44 | 44 | 33 | 20 | -2 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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 Emerald Lake State Park, closest first.
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Cave
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakWilderness Area
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hapgood Pond10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Winhall Brook Camping Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Grout Pond Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Emerald Lake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Emerald Lake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Emerald Lake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Emerald Lake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Emerald Lake State Park?
How far is Emerald Lake State Park from Danby?
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.