Blood Mountain — a mountain peak in Union County, Georgia at about 1,355 m (4,446 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest. It sits roughly 22 km (14 mi) NW of Cleveland.
Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of 4,458 feet (1,359 m). It is located on the border of Lumpkin County with Union County and is within the boundaries of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Blood Mountain Wilderness. There are several waterfalls, hiking trails and other recreational areas in the vicinity. This mountain marks the southernmost range limit for many Northern and Appalachian species, especially for plant species. Blood Mountain is the high point of the Apalachicola River watershed via the Chattahoochee River. On clear days, it is possible to see the skyline of Atlanta from the peak, 116 km (72 mi) away.From the Wikipedia article “Blood Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blood 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) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 61° ENE | 8:53 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 118° ESE | 5:29 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Blood Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:51 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:28 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:00 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:07 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.55 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 92 | 108 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
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
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- 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.
- 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 Blood Mountain, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain PassMountain PassMountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
WaterfallMountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Desoto Falls Recreation Area4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Cooper Creek Campground (Ga)12.8 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Upper Chattahoochee River Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Deep Hole Recreation Area18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blood Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Blood Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blood Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blood Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blood Mountain?
How far is Blood Mountain from Cleveland?
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.