Located in Cobb County, Georgia, Sweat Mountain is a mountain peak at about 500 m (1,640 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 7.0 km (4.3 mi) ESE of Woodstock.
Sweat Mountain is a mountain in far northeastern Cobb County, Georgia, in the suburbs north of Atlanta. The exact GNIS location of its summit is 34°4′1″N 84°27′20″W, and it has an official (USGS) elevation of 1,688 ft (515 m) above mean sea level. It is the second-highest point in the county behind Kennesaw Mountain, and second in the core metro Atlanta area, behind Kennesaw Mountain, which is also in Cobb County. It is fifth if the exurban counties further north are considered. This height has made the mountain very attractive for radio, having several transmitters, radio towers, and antennas, for pagers, cellphones, broadcasting, and amateur radio. The fact that Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain are both protected as parks has led to a proliferation of technology at the top. At the same time, both the antenna farm and the densely packed houses detract from the view of the...From the Wikipedia article “Sweat Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sweat 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 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 61° ENE | 8:53 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 118° ESE | 5:33 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 53m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Sweat 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 | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 6:19 AM | 1.8 | 24° | 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 | 9:58 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 11:11 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:28 PM – 9:08 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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 ≈ 19.43 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 Sweat Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Beach
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Payne Campground-Allatoona Lake12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Victoria Campground17.8 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Sweetwater Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Sweetwater Day Use Area (Ga)18.3 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Galt'S Ferry Day Use Area (Ga)18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sweat Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Sweat Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sweat Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sweat Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sweat Mountain?
How far is Sweat Mountain from Woodstock?
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.