Located in Forsyth County, Georgia, Sawnee Mountain is a mountain peak at about 590 m (1,936 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 3.8 km (2.4 mi) NNW of Cumming.
Sawnee Mountain is a low mountain between the piedmont and Appalachian foothills of the U.S. state of Georgia, north of Atlanta. Average rainfall/46.26in/yr/ average snowfall/5.7in/yr/. The name Sawnee Mountain actually refers to the entire ridge of approximately five miles (8 km) in length. At its summit, the elevation is 1,946 feet (593 m) above mean sea level, and is roughly 750 feet (230 m) above the surrounding terrain. The Sawnee Mountain range runs southwest to northeast, and consists of five knolls and three gaps (Chamblee, Sawnee, and Bettes). Located only a few miles north of Cumming, Georgia (the county seat), the mountain is the highest point in Forsyth county at 1,946 ft (593 m) above sea level. One of the highest peaks of metro Atlanta, it is taller than its more well-known neighbors Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain by 260 ft (79 m) and 138 ft (42 m)...From the Wikipedia article “Sawnee Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sawnee 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) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:26 AM | 61° ENE | 8:52 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 118° ESE | 5:31 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:55 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 | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:57 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 Sawnee 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 | 4:29 AM – 6:19 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:50 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:36 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 3:12 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 1:07 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.0 | 24° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.12 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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Sawnee Mountain, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bald Ridge Creek7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Sawnee10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- West Bank Park Shelters (Ga)11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Buford Dam Park Shelters (Ga)13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Lanier Park Shelter (Ga)13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sawnee Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Sawnee Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sawnee Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sawnee Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sawnee Mountain?
How far is Sawnee Mountain from Cumming?
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.