Bearwallow Gap — a mountain pass in Henderson County, North Carolina at about 1,110 m (3,642 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.5 km (4.0 mi) SSE of Fairview.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bearwallow Gap 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:15 AM | 60° ENE | 8:49 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:21 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Bearwallow Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:25 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:53 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:54 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 8:50 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 79 | 81 | 88 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 5 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 24 | 9 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
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 mountain pass
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bearwallow Gap, closest first.
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Waterfall
State Park
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Powhatan Glamping24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lake Powhatan24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- North Mills River26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Wash Creek Horse Camp27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Curtis Creek Campground (Nc)28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bearwallow Gap?
What time is golden hour at Bearwallow Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bearwallow Gap?
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How far is Bearwallow Gap from Fairview?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.