Grand Isle State Park — a state park in Addison County, Vermont — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.9 km (4.9 mi) WNW of Vergennes.
Grand Isle State Park is a 226-acre state park in Grand Isle, Vermont on the shore of Lake Champlain. Activities includes boating, swimming, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, bicycling, wildlife watching, water sports and winter sports. Facilities include a boat launching ramp, sand-court volleyball, horseshoes, a play area, 117 tent/RV sites, 36 lean-to sites, 4 cabin sites, restrooms with running water and hot showers, and a trailer sanitary station. The park features 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 “Grand Isle State Park (Vermont)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grand Isle State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° NE | 8:41 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 123° ESE | 4:18 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Grand Isle State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 3:19 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 2:36 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 11:22 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:15 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.44 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 55 | 63 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 91 | 79 | 70 | 60 |
| Low °F | -29 | -27 | -18 | 8 | 27 | 36 | 43 | 45 | 32 | 23 | -7 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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 Grand Isle State Park, closest first.
LighthouseLighthouse
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grand Isle State Park?
What time is golden hour at Grand Isle State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grand Isle State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grand Isle State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grand Isle State Park?
How far is Grand Isle State Park from Vergennes?
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.