Mount Wilkinson — a mountain peak in Cobb County, Georgia at about 299 m (981 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Vinings, about 600 m away (Mount Wilkinson lies NW of town).
Mount Wilkinson is a low mountain immediately north-northwest of and directly overlooking downtown Vinings, in southeast Cobb County, Georgia, USA. Although it rises significantly from the surrounding terrain, it is actually at or slightly below the average elevation for the region, as it is in the Chattahoochee River valley. Formerly called Signal Mountain, today it is commonly known as Vinings Mountain. It is said that in 1864, U.S. Army General William T. Sherman got his first look at the church spires of Atlanta from the summit of Vinings Mountain. The mountain, left only partly forested, is now topped with high-rise office towers, part of the Cumberland/Galleria edge city of metro Atlanta. Among these buildings lies a small, private cemetery in which Hardy Pace (1785–1864), a founder of Vinings and operator of Pace's Ferry, is buried.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Wilkinson”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Wilkinson 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) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 61° ENE | 8:53 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 118° ESE | 5:34 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Wilkinson, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 6:19 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:59 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:35 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 1:17 AM | 3.3 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:28 PM – 9:08 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.66 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 (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 | 75 | 78 | 84 | 91 | 96 | 108 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 102 | 85 | 78 |
| Low °F | 8 | 15 | 17 | 26 | 38 | 52 | 57 | 56 | 42 | 29 | 20 | 17 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 5.0 |
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.
- 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 Mount Wilkinson, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Botanical Garden
State Park
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State Park
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Wilkinson?
What time is golden hour at Mount Wilkinson?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Wilkinson?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Wilkinson?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Wilkinson?
How far is Mount Wilkinson from Vinings?
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.