Pilot Knob is a mountain peak in Iron County, Missouri at about 448 m (1,470 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.5 km (1.6 mi) N of Ironton.
Pilot Knob is located in the Arcadia Valley of Iron County, Missouri, between the towns of Ironton and Pilot Knob. Pilot Knob, so named because of its distinctive shape and prominent position, reaches an elevation of 1,470 feet (450 m) rising 581 feet (177 m) above the Arcadia Valley floor and has a large deposit of iron ore in its upper regions. Pilot Knob is a peak in the St. Francois Mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Pilot Knob (Iron County, Missouri)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pilot Knob the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:28 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Pilot Knob, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.66 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 70 | 73 | 83 | 87 | 95 | 110 | 111 | 107 | 100 | 95 | 81 | 71 |
| Low °F | -5 | -1 | 6 | 21 | 32 | 47 | 53 | 49 | 38 | 24 | 12 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Pilot Knob, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
Fire Lookout
State Park
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pilot Knob?
What time is golden hour at Pilot Knob?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pilot Knob?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pilot Knob?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pilot Knob?
How far is Pilot Knob from Ironton?
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.