Bear Mountain — a mountain peak in Cherokee County, Georgia at about 699 m (2,293 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.7 km (4.2 mi) ESE of Rydal.
Bear Mountain is a mountain located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, southwest of Waleska, Georgia. Situated between the northwest and west-central part of Cherokee County, Georgia, it is the highest point in the county at 2,307 feet (703 m). Lake Arrowhead lies to the east-southeast at the foot of the mountain 1,287 feet below. Just to the west runs the Bartow/Cherokee county line. For media in Atlanta, there are two broadcast stations on the mountain. The TV tower is that of 1000-kilowatt WPXA-TV 31 (14.x), also the site of its former analog TV transmission. Its city of license is Rome, Georgia, two counties to the west, but it is considered part of the Atlanta media market for purposes of must-carry regulations. Because it is so far out of town, and in a different direction for most people, reception of the station is often difficult, especially due to the...From the Wikipedia article “Bear Mountain (Georgia)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bear 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 61° ENE | 8:55 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 118° ESE | 5:33 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 53m |
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 Bear Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 6:21 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:52 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:38 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 1:09 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 11:12 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 9:09 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 71 | 75 | 83 | 85 | 92 | 107 | 104 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | 6 | 20 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 38 | 25 | 17 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.5 |
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
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bear Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Beach
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sweetwater Day Use Area (Ga)14.4 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Sweetwater Campground14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Cooper Branch No 2 Day Use Area (Ga)17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Victoria Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Cooper'S Furnace Day Use Area (Ga)18.4 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bear Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Bear Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bear Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bear Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bear Mountain?
How far is Bear Mountain from Rydal?
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.