Cowrock Mountain — a mountain peak in Lumpkin County, Georgia at about 1,170 m (3,839 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Cleveland, about 16.3 km (10.1 mi) away (Cowrock Mountain lies NNW of town).
Cowrock Mountain is a mountain that is located in Lumpkin and White counties in Georgia, United States. The mountain forms a north–south ridge. Its northern peak, Cowrock, has an elevation of 3,852 feet (1,174 m) and its southern peak, Cowrock Flat, has an elevation of 3,502 feet (1,067 m). The boundary line between Lumpkin and White counties follows the ridge formed by Cowrock Mountain. The peak called Cowrock is the highest point in Lumpkin County, forms the northeast corner of the county. The Appalachian Trail also crosses Cowrock Mountain. The mountain is located within the Raven Cliffs Wilderness in the Chattahoochee National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Cowrock Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cowrock 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 | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:23 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 | 6:15 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:56 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 | 8:20 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:56 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 | 9:20 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Cowrock 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 | 5:13 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:50 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:27 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 3:02 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 1:07 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:59 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:26 PM – 9:06 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 ≈ 21.53 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
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- 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.
- 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 Cowrock Mountain, closest first.
Mountain PassMountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Wilderness AreaMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area3.8 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Desoto Falls Recreation Area5.6 km (3.5 mi) · reservable
- Upper Chattahoochee River Campground9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Andrew'S Cove Campground12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Cooper Creek Campground (Ga)20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cowrock Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Cowrock Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cowrock Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cowrock Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cowrock Mountain?
How far is Cowrock 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.