Located in Rutland County, Vermont, Peru Peak Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 6.9 km (4.3 mi) SE of Danby.
The Peru Peak Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas in the Green Mountain National Forest in the U.S. state of Vermont. It was created by the Vermont Wilderness Act of 1984 and later expanded by the New England Wilderness Act of 2006. A total of 7,825 acres (3,167 ha) are managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Long Trail (which coincides with the Appalachian Trail in this region) enters the wilderness at Mad Tom Notch on its southern edge, crossing over Styles Peak (3,394 ft or 1,034 m) and Peru Peak (3,429 ft or 1,045 m) before exiting the area on its western edge. The northern half of Peru Peak Wilderness is remote with no marked trails. In particular, Pete Parent Peak (2,961 ft or 903 m) has no marked path to the top.From the Wikipedia article “Peru Peak Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Peru Peak 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) | 5:12 AM | 56° NE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Peru Peak Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:18 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.7 | 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 ≈ 21.47 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 54% 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 | 59 | 68 | 72 | 82 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -21 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 42 | 30 | 18 | 1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 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
- 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 Peru Peak Wilderness, closest first.
Lake
State Park
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Cave
Mountain Peak
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hapgood Pond6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Winhall Brook Camping Area18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Grout Pond Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Peru Peak Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Peru Peak Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Peru Peak Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Peru Peak Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Peru Peak Wilderness?
How far is Peru Peak Wilderness from Danby?
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.