Located in Piscataquis County, Maine, Hundred-Mile Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) W of Millinocket.
The Hundred-Mile Wilderness is a section of the Appalachian Trail in the state of Maine running between Monson and Abol Bridge over the West Branch of the Penobscot River just south of Baxter State Park. It is generally considered the most remote section of the Appalachian Trail, and one of the most challenging to navigate and traverse. This section of the trail is crossed by several logging roads and is maintained by the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. It consists of a small corridor of protected wilderness surrounded by large tracts of public and private land controlled by paper companies. An increasing amount of the adjoining lands are being protected by groups like the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Nature Conservancy. In 2000, a series of new logging roads and a marked side-trail offered hikers re-supply and lodging opportunities between miles 55 and 65 heading northbound from Monson.From the Wikipedia article “Hundred-Mile Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hundred-Mile Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:41 AM | 90° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:48 AM | 54° NE | 8:30 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:24 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 124° SE | 3:56 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 4:32 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:10 AM | 4:48 AM | 5:33 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:26 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:40 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:05 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:28 PM | 8h 43m |
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 Hundred-Mile Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 4:42 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 3:52 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 12:42 AM – 2:52 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:05 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 12:48 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 10:53 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 8:52 PM | 0.3 | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 50 | 46 | 70 | 74 | 83 | 90 | 89 | 86 | 85 | 77 | 65 | 56 |
| Low °F | -32 | -27 | -19 | 7 | 26 | 34 | 46 | 43 | 31 | 22 | -1 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 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 wilderness area
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Hundred-Mile Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hundred-Mile Wilderness?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Hundred-Mile Wilderness?
How far is Hundred-Mile Wilderness from Millinocket?
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.