Located in Grand Isle County, Vermont, Knight Point State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Cumberland Head, about 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away (Knight Point State Park lies NE of town).
Knight Point State Park is a day use state park off US Route 2 on North Hero Island in North Hero, Vermont. Opened in 1978, the park is administered by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, as part of the Vermont State Park system. Features include a sandy swimming beach and boat rentals on Lake Champlain, and picnic areas with cooking grills. The park houses the Island Center for Arts and Recreation, a community-based nonprofit that promotes area cultural events. The Campmeeting Point Natural Area is a 3-acre section of the park. It includes 2,200 feet of Lake Champlain shoreline of least disturbed cobble beach that supports rare plant species, and the adjacent woodland with a grove of large oaks and hickory trees.From the Wikipedia article “Knight Point State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Knight Point State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 55° NE | 8:43 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 123° ESE | 4:16 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Knight Point State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:15 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 3:12 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 2:31 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:16 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:15 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.51 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
- 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.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- 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 Knight Point State Park, closest first.
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Knight Point State Park?
What time is golden hour at Knight Point State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Knight Point State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Knight Point State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Knight Point State Park?
How far is Knight Point State Park from Cumberland Head?
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.