Howard Knob is a mountain peak in Watauga County, North Carolina at about 1,340 m (4,396 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Boone, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Howard Knob lies N of town).
Howard Knob (variant: Howard's Knob) is a mountain in the North Carolina High Country, located in the town of Boone. According to the US Geological Survey, the mountain's proper name is Howard Knob, but it is known to locals and tourists as Howard's Knob. Howard Knob and the surrounding area are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. The mountain has an elevation of 4,396 feet (1,340 m) above sea level, and rises nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) above the town of Boone and the campus of Appalachian State University.From the Wikipedia article “Howard Knob”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Howard 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 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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 60° ENE | 8:48 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:16 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 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 Howard Knob, 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 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 – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.7 | 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 | 10:32 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:44 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:43 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:48 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 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 52% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 71 | 79 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 96 | 99 | 94 | 92 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -4 | -5 | 0 | 21 | 30 | 39 | 50 | 46 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
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.
- 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 Howard Knob, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Johns River Road Backcountry Camping10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Julian Price Campground11.3 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Boone Fork Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Mortimer Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Mortimer Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Howard Knob?
What time is golden hour at Howard Knob?
Where does the sun rise and set at Howard Knob?
Can you see the Milky Way from Howard Knob?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Howard Knob?
How far is Howard Knob from Boone?
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.