Black Balsam Knob is a mountain peak in Haywood County, North Carolina at about 1,892 m (6,207 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 16.5 km (10.3 mi) NW of Brevard.
Black Balsam Knob, also known as Black Balsam Bald, is in the Pisgah National Forest southwest of Asheville, North Carolina, near milepost 420 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is the second highest mountain in the Great Balsam Mountains. The Great Balsams are within the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian Mountains. It is the 23rd highest of the 40 mountains in North Carolina over 6000 feet. The top of the mountain is a grassy bald that affords a panoramic view. The origin of grassy balds in southern Haywood county is a result of extensive clear-cut logging and locomotive fires in 1925 and 1942. These fires burned deep down into the mineral-rich topsoil slowing reforestation or stopping it altogether. Examples of this can also be found on many of its neighboring peaks and ridges. These features contribute to the area's popularity, but foot traffic also causes some...From the Wikipedia article “Black Balsam Knob”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Balsam Knob 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 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:18 AM | 60° ENE | 8:50 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 119° ESE | 5:23 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Black Balsam Knob, 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 | 5:19 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:25 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:54 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:55 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 9:02 PM | 0.7 | 15° | 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 ≈ 21.43 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 72 | 79 | 81 | 88 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 5 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 24 | 9 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Black Balsam Knob, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cove Creek Upper Group Camp6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Cove Creek Lower Group Camp6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Sunburst 7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Pink Beds Picnic Shelter9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- White Pine South Group Camp12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Balsam Knob?
What time is golden hour at Black Balsam Knob?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Balsam Knob?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Balsam Knob?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Balsam Knob?
How far is Black Balsam Knob from Brevard?
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.