Cheaha Mountain is a mountain peak in Cleburne County, Alabama at about 726 m (2,382 ft) above sea level. It is part of Cheaha State Park. The nearest town is Munford, about 14.1 km (8.8 mi) away (Cheaha Mountain lies ESE of town).
Cheaha Mountain , often called Mount Cheaha, is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is located a few miles northwest of the town of Delta in Cheaha State Park, which offers a lodge, a restaurant, and other amenities. The nearest higher peak is Brushy Top in Gilmer County, Georgia, 106.72 miles (171.75 km) away.From the Wikipedia article “Cheaha Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cheaha Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 61° ENE | 7:57 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:44 AM | 118° ESE | 4:40 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Cheaha Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | 4:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:31 AM – 4:41 AM | 3.2 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:33 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.5 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:01 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:15 PM – 10:15 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.23 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 73 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 97 | 107 | 105 | 106 | 103 | 101 | 87 | 77 |
| Low °F | 6 | 15 | 21 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 55 | 53 | 41 | 29 | 18 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
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 peak
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cheaha Mountain, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Covered BridgeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cheaha Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Cheaha Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cheaha Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cheaha Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cheaha Mountain?
How far is Cheaha Mountain from Munford?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.