Located in Bennington County, Vermont, Lye Brook Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 7.5 km (4.7 mi) SSE of Manchester Center.
The Lye Brook Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas in the Green Mountain National Forest in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The wilderness area was created by the Eastern Wilderness Areas Act of 1975, which makes it one of the oldest wilderness areas in the state. The area was expanded by both the Vermont Wilderness Act of 1984 and the New England Wilderness Act of 2006. The Lye Brook Wilderness consists of 18,122 acres (7,334 ha) northwest of Stratton, Vermont. It is named after Lye Brook, which flows through the western half of the wilderness. Elevation within the wilderness ranges from 900 feet (274 m) to 2,900 feet (884 m) above sea level, though most of the area sits on a high plateau above 2,500 feet (762 m).From the Wikipedia article “Lye Brook Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lye Brook Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:21 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:32 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 | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Lye Brook 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 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 | — | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.38 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 75 | 82 | 86 | 94 | 97 | 92 | 90 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -32 | -24 | -19 | 5 | 26 | 32 | 44 | 44 | 33 | 20 | -2 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Lye Brook Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Cave
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Wilderness Area
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grout Pond Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Winhall Brook Camping Area18.6 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Hapgood Pond19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Townshend Lake Recreation Area27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lye Brook Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Lye Brook Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lye Brook Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lye Brook Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lye Brook Wilderness?
How far is Lye Brook Wilderness from Manchester Center?
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.