Waterrock Knob is a mountain peak in Haywood County, North Carolina at about 1,912 m (6,273 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 7.0 km (4.3 mi) SSW of Maggie Valley.
Waterrock Knob is a mountain peak in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the highest peak in the Plott Balsams and is the 16th-highest mountain in the Eastern United States. The mountain is a popular destination with tourists and amateur hikers, as it is easily accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway. A visitors' center is located near its summit and a hiking trail leads to its top. The hiking trail and visitors' center are staffed and maintained by the National Park Service, part of the United States Department of the Interior.From the Wikipedia article “Waterrock Knob”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Waterrock 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 242° (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) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:18 AM | 60° ENE | 8:52 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 119° ESE | 5:24 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Waterrock Knob, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 5:21 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 6:16 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:41 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 4:29 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 10:58 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 8:54 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 ≈ 21.46 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 68 | 71 | 81 | 80 | 87 | 101 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 92 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -1 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 42 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 23 | 12 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Waterrock Knob, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Balsam Mt. Campground11.7 km (7.3 mi)
- Balsam Mountain Campground11.7 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Tow String Horse Camp16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Round Bottom Horse Camp18.1 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Cataloochee Horse Camp18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Waterrock Knob?
What time is golden hour at Waterrock Knob?
Where does the sun rise and set at Waterrock Knob?
Can you see the Milky Way from Waterrock Knob?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Waterrock Knob?
How far is Waterrock Knob from Maggie Valley?
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.