Roan Mountain is a mountain peak in Mitchell County, North Carolina at about 1,915 m (6,283 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Roan Mountain, about 10.6 km (6.6 mi) away (Roan Mountain lies SSW of town).
Roan Mountain is a 6,277 ft (1,913 m) mountain straddling the North Carolina/Tennessee state line in the Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in the Southeastern United States. The range's highpoint, Roan is clad in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce–fir forest and includes the world's largest natural rhododendron garden and the longest stretch of grassy bald in the Appalachian range. The Roan Highlands contain the highest quality remaining stretch of Fraser fir forest throughout the tree's entire range. The Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah National Forest converge atop the mountain, with Roan Mountain State Park located near its northern base. The Appalachian Trail traverses most of the Roan's crest. The Roan High Knob Shelter is the highest back-country shelter on the entire 2,174-mile (3,499 km) trail.From the Wikipedia article “Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Roan 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) | 7:33 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 | 6:06 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 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 | 7:52 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 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 | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 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 | 8:13 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 Roan 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 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 ≈ 21.52 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
- 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.
- 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 Roan Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dennis Cove Campground16.8 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Rock Creek Recreation Area (Cherokee National Forest, Tn)22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Linville Falls Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cardens Bluff Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Roan Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Roan Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Roan Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Roan Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Roan Mountain?
How far is Roan Mountain 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.