Located in Bedford County, Virginia, Buford's Gap is a mountain pass. The nearest town is Blue Ridge, about 2.8 km (1.7 mi) away (Buford's Gap lies NE of town).
Buford's Gap is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Bedford County, Virginia. Buford's Gap was the original crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains for the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, later the Norfolk and Western Railway, a precursor of today's Norfolk Southern Railway system. It was the site of a battle in 1864 during the American Civil War. U.S. Route 460 also passes through the gap.From the Wikipedia article “Buford's Gap”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buford's Gap the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 59° ENE | 8:44 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 119° ESE | 5:05 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Buford's Gap, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:16 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:30 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:30 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.43 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 74 | 74 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 101 | 104 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 4 | 23 | 31 | 42 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 17 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Buford's Gap, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Peaks Of Otter Campground16.5 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- North Creek24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp30 km (19 mi) · reservable
- Cave Mountain Lake Group Picnic Shelter30 km (19 mi) · reservable
- Cave Mountain Lake Family Camp30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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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.