Located in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Mill Pond Falls is a waterfall. The nearest town is Newington, about 700 m away (Mill Pond Falls lies SW of town).
Mill Pond Falls is a waterfall located in Newington, Connecticut. It is promoted by residents as the "smallest natural waterfall in the United States". The falls are located inside Mill Pond Park and is celebrated each fall during the Waterfall Festival.From the Wikipedia article “Mill Pond Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mill Pond Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:30 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 122° ESE | 4:24 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Mill Pond Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | 4:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:22 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:30 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:39 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 18.43 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 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 68 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -1 | 21 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
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 waterfall
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mill Pond Falls, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mill Pond Falls?
What time is golden hour at Mill Pond Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mill Pond Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mill Pond Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mill Pond Falls?
How far is Mill Pond Falls from Newington?
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.