Sugar Hill / Sunset Hill Road
Franconia Notch region, New Hampshire · 1,557 ft
Open hayfields on the ridge look east across the Gale River valley to Cannon Mountain and Mount Lafayette, about eight miles off. Late sun front-lights the ridgeline while the fields and roadside maples in front of you fall into shadow.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Typical peak
Sep 30 – Oct 8
A few weeks out. Expect this to move by several days.
Best light
Best at sunset
Classic view faces ESE (115°)
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Follow NH Route 117 west from Franconia to Sugar Hill village, turn onto Sunset Hill Road, and use the roadside pullouts along the ridge, since the fields themselves are private.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- red maple
- paper birch
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 4Typical color progression for Sugar Hill / Sunset Hill Road. No change from Aug 27 to Sep 13. First color from Sep 13 to Sep 22. Approaching peak from Sep 22 to Sep 30. Peak from Sep 30 to Oct 8. Past peak from Oct 8 to Oct 18. Bare from Oct 18 to Nov 1.
Sugar Hill / Sunset Hill Road is typically at first color on this date.
Light at peak
Sugar Hill / Sunset Hill Road on October 4, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:19 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 95° | 6:48 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 39 min of low, warm light | 7:26 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:36 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 39 min before sunset | 5:44 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 265° | 6:23 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:52 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 35m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sunrise: backlit
Sun behind the canopy — leaves glow translucent. The shot most people are after. Expect flare; a hood or a hand helps.
Sunset: front-lit
Sun behind you. Flat, even light — accurate color, little drama. Good for wide valley scenes, weak for single trees.
Based on the classic composition here facing ESE (115°).
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.