Max Patch is a mountain peak in Madison County, North Carolina at about 1,407 m (4,616 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Cove Creek, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Max Patch lies NNE of town).
Max Patch is a bald mountain on the North Carolina-Tennessee Border in Madison County, North Carolina, and Cocke County, Tennessee. It is a major landmark along the Tennessee/North Carolina section of the Appalachian Trail, although its summit is in North Carolina. It is known for its 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains, namely the Bald Mountains in the immediate vicinity; the Unakas to the north; the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the south; and the Great Balsams and Black Mountains to the southeast. A small parking area is near the summit with a short loop trail. No public bathrooms or trash cans exist, and parking is limited at the site.From the Wikipedia article “Max Patch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Max Patch 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 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 | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:17 AM | 60° ENE | 8:52 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 119° ESE | 5:23 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:17 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Max Patch, 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:41 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:57 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 8:53 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 ≈ 21.58 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
- 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.
- 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 Max Patch, closest first.
Mountain Pass
National Forest
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Round Mountain Campground4.6 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Harmon Den Campground4.6 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Bluff Campground12.3 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Big Creek Horse Camp14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Big Creek Group Camp14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Max Patch?
What time is golden hour at Max Patch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Max Patch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Max Patch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Max Patch?
How far is Max Patch from Cove Creek?
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.