West Virginia Botanic Garden — a botanical garden in Monongalia County, West Virginia at about 403 m (1,322 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Brookhaven, about 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away (West Virginia Botanic Garden lies ENE of town).
The West Virginia Botanic Garden is a botanical garden located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and is the only botanical garden in the state of West Virginia. It covers approximately 85 acres of land and 4.5 miles of walking trails, and has 8 gardens. It is situated near Cheat Lake, and the Tibbs Run Reservoir, which was used as a water source for Morgantown before 1969. The reservoir basin was drained in 1980 and is now grown over with plants.From the Wikipedia article “West Virginia Botanic Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Virginia Botanic Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 58° ENE | 8:51 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 120° ESE | 4:59 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 23m |
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 West Virginia Botanic Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.0 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 (78%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 74 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -8 | 19 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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 botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of West Virginia Botanic Garden, closest first.
State Park
Botanical Garden
Canyon
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Cave
State Park
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Virginia Botanic Garden?
What time is golden hour at West Virginia Botanic Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Virginia Botanic Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Virginia Botanic Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Virginia Botanic Garden?
How far is West Virginia Botanic Garden from Brookhaven?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.