Located in Jackson County, North Carolina, Whiteside Mountain is a mountain peak at about 1,395 m (4,577 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 25 km (15 mi) ESE of Franklin.
Whiteside Mountain or Sanigilâ'gĭ in Cherokee is a mountain in Jackson County, North Carolina between Cashiers, Highlands, North Carolina, and the Georgia border. Whiteside Mountain has the highest cliffs in Eastern North America. It also has a feature called Devil's Courthouse (distinct from the Devil's Courthouse 20 miles away in Transylvania County, NC). Since the 1980s, the forest service has tried to restrict access to the Courthouse and has allowed the foot trail to it to grow over because of dangers such as strong winds. They also did not want accidents from paragliding and similar activities taking place from the mountain top or from the Courthouse. There is also an overhang, a small platform less than 7 feet in diameter, connected to Whiteside as if it were a cantilever. Similar overhangs can be found on the Appalachian Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Whiteside Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whiteside 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 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 | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:20 AM | 60° ENE | 8:51 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 119° ESE | 5:25 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 29m |
| 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 | 8:13 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Whiteside Mountain, 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 | 5:11 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:26 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 1:06 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:57 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.6 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
- 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 Whiteside Mountain, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Mountain PassWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cliffside Lake Shelters9.1 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Van Hook Glade9.9 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- West Fork Campground (Clayton, Ga) 15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Cherry Hill Campground16.2 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Sarah'S Creek Campground (Clayton, Ga) 20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whiteside Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Whiteside Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whiteside Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whiteside Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whiteside Mountain?
How far is Whiteside Mountain from Franklin?
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.