Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park is a dark sky place in Fentress County, Tennessee. It sits roughly 18.3 km (11.4 mi) NE of Jamestown. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park (also known simply as Pickett State Park or Pickett CCC Memorial State Park) is a Tennessee state park in the upper Cumberland Mountains. It is located in Pickett County, northeast of the city of Jamestown, and is adjacent to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The park is located on 19,200 acres (78 km2) of wilderness including caves, natural bridges, and other rock formations. About 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) are managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as a state park, and the remainder of the property is managed by the Tennessee Division of Forestry as a state forest.From the Wikipedia article “Pickett CCC Memorial State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:44 AM | 90° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 60° ENE | 8:02 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 119° ESE | 4:28 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:32 PM | 4:59 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 41m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 4:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:41 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:20 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:07 PM – 11:57 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:15 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.74 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 69 | 72 | 82 | 83 | 91 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 83 | 72 |
| Low °F | -1 | -1 | 3 | 21 | 30 | 43 | 51 | 49 | 37 | 24 | 10 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.9 |
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 dark sky place
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
Natural Arch
Waterfall
State Park
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bandy Creek11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Station Camp Campground14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Bear Creek Campground - Ky26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Blue Heron Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park?
What time is golden hour at Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park?
How far is Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park from Jamestown?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via 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.