Located in Tucker County, West Virginia, Blackwater Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 11.5 km (7.1 mi) E of Parsons.
Blackwater Canyon is a rugged, heavily wooded, eight-mile (13 km) long gorge carved by the Blackwater River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. For many years, it has been the object of controversy as environmental activists have contended with industrial (power, timber, development) interests over its ultimate status.From the Wikipedia article “Blackwater Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blackwater Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 120° ESE | 5:00 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Blackwater Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:20 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 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 canyon
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Blackwater Canyon, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
State Park
Wilderness AreaGhost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Horseshoe Recreation Area10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Red Creek Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Bear Heaven Campground22 km (13 mi)
- Stuart Recreation Area28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blackwater Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Blackwater Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blackwater Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blackwater Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blackwater Canyon?
How far is Blackwater Canyon from Parsons?
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.