Located in Pickens County, Georgia, Mount Oglethorpe is a mountain peak at about 966 m (3,169 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Jasper, about 9.3 km (5.8 mi) away (Mount Oglethorpe lies ENE of town).
Mount Oglethorpe is a mountain located in Pickens County, Georgia, United States. The southernmost peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the mountain has an elevation of 3,288 feet (1,002 m), making it the highest point in Pickens County. Mount Oglethorpe served as the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail from when the trail was completed in 1937 until 1958. In 1958, as a result of over-development around Mount Oglethorpe, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail was moved about 13 miles (21 km) to the northeast to Springer Mountain.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Oglethorpe”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Oglethorpe 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) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:26 AM | 61° ENE | 8:54 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 118° ESE | 5:31 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Mount Oglethorpe, 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 6:19 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 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:37 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.0 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.18 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Mount Oglethorpe, closest first.
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Frank Gross Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Doll Mountain Day Use Area Shelter29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Oglethorpe?
What time is golden hour at Mount Oglethorpe?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Oglethorpe?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Oglethorpe?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Oglethorpe?
How far is Mount Oglethorpe from Jasper?
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.