Located in DeKalb County, Georgia, Stone Mountain is a mountain peak at about 514 m (1,686 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) E of Stone Mountain.
Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, 15 miles (24 km) east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state of Georgia. Stone Mountain, once owned by the Venable Brothers, was purchased by the state of Georgia in 1958 "as a memorial to the Confederacy". Stone Mountain Park officially opened on April 14, 1965 – 100 years to the day after Lincoln's assassination, although recreational use of the park had been ongoing for several years prior. The park today is owned by the state of Georgia. The mountain, which ranges in composition from quartz monzonite to granite and granodiorite, is more than 5 miles (8.0 km) in circumference at its base. The summit of the mountain can be reached by a walk-up trail on the west side of the mountain or by the Skyride...From the Wikipedia article “Stone Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stone 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) | 6:27 AM | 61° ENE | 8:51 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 118° ESE | 5:33 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 | 7:15 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 59m |
| 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 | 8:34 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 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 | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 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 Stone 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 6 (bright 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.03 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
- 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.
- 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 Stone Mountain, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stone Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Stone Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stone Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stone Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stone Mountain?
How far is Stone Mountain from Stone 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.