Panola Mountain — a mountain peak in Rockdale County, Georgia at about 288 m (945 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.8 km (4.2 mi) SW of Pine Mountain.
Panola Mountain is a 100-acre (40 ha) granite monadnock in Rockdale County, Georgia. The peak is 946 feet (288 m) above sea level, rising 260 feet (79 m) above the South River. The South River marks the boundary between Henry, Rockdale, and DeKalb counties. Due to its delicate ecological features, Panola Mountain was designated a National Natural Landmark on December 16, 1980.From the Wikipedia article “Panola Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Panola 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) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 61° ENE | 8:51 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 118° ESE | 5:33 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Panola Mountain, 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:34 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 1:16 AM | 3.3 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 11:09 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:07 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.65 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Panola Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Panola Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Panola Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Panola Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Panola Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Panola Mountain?
How far is Panola Mountain from Pine Mountain?
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.