Glastenbury Wilderness — a wilderness area in Bennington County, Vermont — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.3 km (7.6 mi) ENE of North Bennington.
The Glastenbury Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas in the Green Mountain National Forest in the U.S. state of Vermont. The area, located northeast of Bennington, Vermont, is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. With a total of 22,330 acres (9,040 ha), the wilderness is the second largest in Vermont (next to the Breadloaf Wilderness). It was created by the New England Wilderness Act of 2006. The Long Trail (which coincides with the Appalachian Trail in this region) crosses the entire length of the wilderness from south to north. The wilderness is traversed by several other hiking trails including the Bald Mountain Trail, the West Ridge Trail, and the Little Pond Trail. The hilly terrain of the area includes several summits surpassing 2,000 feet (610 m) in elevation. The highest peak is Glastenbury Mountain at 3,748 feet (1,142 m), which is located at the north end of the...From the Wikipedia article “Glastenbury Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glastenbury Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 56° ENE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:21 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Glastenbury Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:19 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.18 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 100 | 98 | 93 | 86 | 74 | 68 |
| Low °F | -24 | -18 | -15 | 12 | 27 | 34 | 46 | 46 | 34 | 18 | 3 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 3.9 |
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
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Glastenbury Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
State Park
Wilderness Area
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glastenbury Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Glastenbury Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glastenbury Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glastenbury Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glastenbury Wilderness?
How far is Glastenbury Wilderness from North Bennington?
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.