Pine Log Mountain is a mountain peak in Cherokee County, Georgia at about 690 m (2,264 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Rydal, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Pine Log Mountain lies ESE of town).
Pine Log Mountain is located in the U.S. state of Georgia with a summit elevation of 2,338 feet (713 m). The peak and its range is three miles west of the town of Waleska separated only by the gated community of Lake Arrowhead. The summit falls within Cherokee County, although the majority of the mountain range trails into Bartow County including other peaks of Little Pine Log Mountain, Bear Mountain and Hanging Mountain. Pine Log and these other summits within its range are the last mountains over 2,000 feet (600 m) in the Appalachians of north Georgia. The Appalachian range does not rise above 2,000 feet again until many miles further southwest in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama.From the Wikipedia article “Pine Log Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pine Log 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) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 61° ENE | 8:55 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 118° ESE | 5:33 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 53m |
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 Pine Log 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 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 | 5:17 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 6:21 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:52 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:38 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 1:09 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 11:12 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 9:09 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 ≈ 20.81 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Pine Log Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Beach
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sweetwater Day Use Area (Ga)14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Sweetwater Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Cooper Branch No 2 Day Use Area (Ga)18.9 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Victoria Campground19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Cooper'S Furnace Day Use Area (Ga)19.7 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pine Log Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Pine Log Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pine Log Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pine Log Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pine Log Mountain?
How far is Pine Log Mountain from Rydal?
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.