Blue Knob is a mountain peak in Bedford County, Pennsylvania at about 953 m (3,127 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.5 km (5.9 mi) W of Claysburg.
Blue Knob (elevation 3,146 feet (959 m)) is a summit in the eastern United States with a broad dome that is the northernmost 3,000-footer in the Allegheny Mountains. It is the highest point in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The mountain is the site of 5,874-acre (23.77 km2) Blue Knob State Park and contains approximately 18 miles (29 km) of hiking trails and numerous overlooks. An alpine ski area is located on the mountain's north slopes. The towns of Pavia and Claysburg lie at the foot of the mountain, and Johnstown, Altoona, and Bedford are located within 25 miles (40 km).From the Wikipedia article “Blue Knob (Pennsylvania)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blue Knob the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 58° ENE | 8:48 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 121° ESE | 4:52 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Blue Knob, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.41 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 76 | 82 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 95 | 92 | 88 | 74 | 70 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | -1 | 19 | 23 | 37 | 45 | 46 | 36 | 21 | 9 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Blue Knob, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blue Knob?
What time is golden hour at Blue Knob?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blue Knob?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blue Knob?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blue Knob?
How far is Blue Knob from Claysburg?
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.