Located in Surry County, North Carolina, Pilot Mountain is a mountain peak at about 731 m (2,398 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.2 km (3.2 mi) S of Pilot Mountain.
Pilot Mountain, a monadnock rising to a peak 2,421 feet (738 m) above sea level, is one of the most distinctive natural features in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a remnant of the ancient chain of Sauratown Mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Pilot Mountain (North Carolina)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pilot Mountain 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) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 60° ENE | 8:44 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 119° ESE | 5:11 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 | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Pilot Mountain, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:12 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:39 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:38 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:43 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.14 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 73 | 75 | 80 | 84 | 92 | 99 | 98 | 100 | 96 | 96 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | 0 | -2 | 2 | 22 | 32 | 43 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 26 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
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 Mountain, closest first.
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WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pilot Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Pilot Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pilot Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pilot Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pilot Mountain?
How far is Pilot Mountain from Pilot 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.