Buck Creek Gap — a mountain pass in Yancey County, North Carolina — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.0 km (10.6 mi) NW of Marion.
Buck Creek Gap (el. 3,402 ft (1,037 m)) is a mountain pass along the Blue Ridge Mountains. NC 80 connects with the Blue Ridge Parkway at the gap, where it travelers can go either towards Burnsville, Marion, Mount Mitchell or Little Switzerland. A scenic overlook is located at the gap, along NC 80; which is sometimes also used as a staging area for motorcycle enthusiasts. The gap is also along the Eastern Continental Divide and the McDowell–Yancey county line.From the Wikipedia article “Buck Creek Gap”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buck Creek 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 241° (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) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:14 AM | 60° ENE | 8:49 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 5:00 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Buck Creek Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 12:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:16 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:54 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 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
- 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.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Buck Creek Gap, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfall
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Carolina Hemlocks Rec Area5.2 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain Campground5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Briar Bottom Group Campground5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Curtis Creek Campground9.5 km (5.9 mi)
- Curtis Creek Campground (Nc)11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buck Creek Gap?
What time is golden hour at Buck Creek Gap?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buck Creek Gap?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buck Creek Gap?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buck Creek Gap?
How far is Buck Creek Gap from Marion?
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.