Wake Forest is a city of about 38,199 people in Wake County, North Carolina, at 119 m (390 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:33 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:58 PM – 6:49 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Wake Forest
At Wake Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Wake Forest
25 photo locations lie within 80 km of Wake Forest. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenFire Lookouts
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Wake Forest is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Island View Shores, about 174 km (108 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island View Shores | Beach | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Norflick Shore | Beach | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Pungo Lake | Lake | 179 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 182 km (113 mi) | 2 |
| Bible Shore | Beach | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Pettigrew State Park | State Park | 189 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Bee Tree Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 191 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Kerr Lake State Recreation Area | State Park | 54 km (33 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:23 PM – 4:03 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.