Blackjack Mountain — a mountain peak in Carroll County, Georgia at about 472 m (1,549 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Bowdon, about 11.3 km (7.0 mi) away (Blackjack Mountain lies S of town).
Blackjack Mountain is a scenic landmark, located in the very southwest corner of Carroll County, Georgia on the Georgia-Alabama border and Heard County line. The nearest city is Ephesus, Georgia, 2.2 miles (3.5 km) to the south. While not an impressive mountain, at 1,545 ft (471 m) the summit is the highest point in Georgia south of Interstate 20. Blackjack Mountain is a long north–south trending ridge. The Native Americans used this promontory as a reference point on their east–west trading path and are believed to have used the summit for sacred ceremonies. The mountain was named for its blackjack oak timber.From the Wikipedia article “Blackjack Mountain (Carroll County, Georgia)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blackjack 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) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:33 AM | 61° ENE | 8:55 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 118° ESE | 5:38 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 | 7:19 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Blackjack 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 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 | 5:20 AM – 6:00 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 6:22 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.2 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 4.5 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:46 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 1:19 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 11:13 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:31 PM – 9:11 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.37 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Blackjack Mountain, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blackjack Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Blackjack Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blackjack Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blackjack Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blackjack Mountain?
How far is Blackjack Mountain from Bowdon?
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.