Rabun Bald is a mountain peak in Rabun County, Georgia at about 1,431 m (4,695 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.4 km (5.8 mi) NE of Mountain City.
Rabun Bald, with an elevation of 4,696 feet (1,431 m), is the second-highest peak in the U.S. state of Georgia; only Brasstown Bald 4,784 feet (1,458 m) is higher. It is immediately southeast of Sky Valley, Georgia, and is the tallest mountain in the county. An observation tower on the summit provides hikers with views that, on clear days, extend for more than 100 miles (160 km). The hike to the top of Rabun Bald is 5.8 miles (9.3 km) round trip via the Rabun Bald Trail. The Rabun Bald Trail connects with the Bartram Trail system, which passes over the top as it winds through northeast Georgia for 37 miles (60 km). According to Native American legend, Rabun Bald is inhabited by fire-breathing demon people: some campers still report hearing strange sounds throughout the night.From the Wikipedia article “Rabun Bald”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rabun Bald the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:20 AM | 60° ENE | 8:51 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 119° ESE | 5:26 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Rabun Bald, 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:26 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 1:06 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:57 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 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 ≈ 21.63 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.
- 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 Rabun Bald, closest first.
Mountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain Pass
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sarah'S Creek Campground (Clayton, Ga) 5.3 km (3.3 mi) · reservable
- West Fork Campground (Clayton, Ga) 9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Willis Knob Horse Camp10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Whetstone Horse Camp13.1 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Van Hook Glade13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rabun Bald?
What time is golden hour at Rabun Bald?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rabun Bald?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rabun Bald?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rabun Bald?
How far is Rabun Bald from Mountain City?
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.