Chocorua Lake
Mount Chocorua & Tamworth, New Hampshire · 574 ft
Typical peak
Oct 4 – Oct 12
low confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Classic view faces NNW (334°)
Mount Chocorua's bare rock cone rises four miles north across the water and reflects on the lake on windless mornings. Shoreline pines break up the foreground and the hardwood slopes below the summit carry the color.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Park at the Grove lot beside the Narrows Bridge on Chocorua Lake Road, off NH Route 16 in Tamworth, and walk a few steps to the shore.
What turns here
- red maple
- sugar maple
- american beech
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 8Typical color progression for Chocorua Lake. No change from Aug 31 to Sep 17. First color from Sep 17 to Sep 26. Approaching peak from Sep 26 to Oct 4. Peak from Oct 4 to Oct 12. Past peak from Oct 12 to Oct 22. Bare from Oct 22 to Nov 5.
Chocorua Lake is typically at bare on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
Oct 18
8 nights at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
58°F / 32°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Chocorua Lake on October 8, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:21 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 97° | 6:50 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 39 min of low, warm light | 7:29 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:32 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 39 min before sunset | 5:35 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 262° | 6:14 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:43 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 24m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Both ends of the day: side-lit
Side light. Best for texture and depth across a ridge, and the safest bet for contrast.
Classic composition faces NNW (334°).
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.
Nearby locations
Within 100 miles in a straight line; road distances can be longer.
- Kancamagus Highway at Kancamagus Pass Bare
New Hampshire · 15 mi away
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2,846 ft · peaks Sep 30 - Mount Washington Auto Road Bare
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1,564 ft · peaks Oct 4 - Artists Bluff Bare
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2,337 ft · peaks Oct 1