Located in Orleans County, Vermont, Sentinel Rock State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Newport, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Sentinel Rock State Park lies SE of town).
Sentinel Rock State Park is a 356-acre (144 ha) state park in Westmore, Vermont. It is open for hiking, educational pursuits, hunting, and trapping. The property is named after its signature feature, Sentinel Rock, a huge glacial boulder situated at an elevation of about 2,034 feet (620 m) above sea level. The park is mostly undeveloped, and features a parking area, interpretative signage and ADA accessible trails that lead visitors to Sentinel Rock and to the former site of a farmhouse. The land was previously a farm and was donated to the state in 1997 by its owner, Windsor Wright. Portions of the park continue to be managed as sustainable agricultural and forest land.From the Wikipedia article “Sentinel Rock State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sentinel Rock 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) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 55° NE | 8:38 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 123° ESE | 4:11 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 | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:25 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 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 Sentinel Rock State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:10 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 3:07 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 1:11 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:10 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:11 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.83 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 57% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 84 | 88 | 102 | 87 | 89 | 76 | 66 | 62 |
| Low °F | -31 | -31 | -23 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | -1 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Sentinel Rock State Park, closest first.
State Park
Lake
State Park
Covered Bridge
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sentinel Rock State Park?
What time is golden hour at Sentinel Rock State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sentinel Rock State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sentinel Rock State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sentinel Rock State Park?
How far is Sentinel Rock State Park from Newport?
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.