Grassy Ridge Bald is a mountain peak in Avery County, North Carolina at about 1,879 m (6,165 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Roan Mountain, about 10.8 km (6.7 mi) away (Grassy Ridge Bald lies S of town).
Grassy Ridge Bald is a bald mountain in North Carolina and is part of the Roan Highlands, within the Pisgah National Forest. Its elevation reaches 6,184 feet (1,885 m) and it lies on the boundary between Avery County, North Carolina (its highest point) and Mitchell County, North Carolina. The mountain forms feeder streams for the North Toe River.From the Wikipedia article “Grassy Ridge Bald”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grassy Ridge Bald 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:12 AM | 60° ENE | 8:49 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Grassy Ridge Bald, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:17 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:54 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:54 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 74 | 80 | 83 | 90 | 102 | 101 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 81 | 74 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 7 | 20 | 33 | 41 | 51 | 49 | 37 | 23 | 15 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Grassy Ridge Bald, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallMountain PassWaterfallMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dennis Cove Campground17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Linville Falls Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Cardens Bluff Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Rock Creek Recreation Area (Cherokee National Forest, Tn)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grassy Ridge Bald?
What time is golden hour at Grassy Ridge Bald?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grassy Ridge Bald?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grassy Ridge Bald?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grassy Ridge Bald?
How far is Grassy Ridge Bald from Roan 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.