Catawissa Mountain is a mountain peak in Columbia County, Pennsylvania at about 571 m (1,873 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Almedia, about 11.8 km (7.3 mi) away (Catawissa Mountain lies SSE of town).
Catawissa Mountain is a mountain in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Its peak height is 1,873 feet (571 m) above sea level, making it the fifth-highest mountain in Columbia County. Streams that flow near the mountain include Roaring Creek, Catawissa Creek, and some of their tributaries. The mountain is near Nescopeck Mountain and Little Mountain. Sandstones and rock formations such as the Pocono Formation occur on Catawissa Mountain. The community of Catawissa is near Catawissa Mountain. There have also been several roads on or near the mountain in the past. In more recent times, Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 58 was established in the area and includes some parts of Catawissa Mountain. There are vernal pools on the mountain, which are used as breeding grounds for amphibians. The mountain is part of a much larger tract of forest. Catawissa Mountain is...From the Wikipedia article “Catawissa Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Catawissa Mountain 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:41 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Catawissa Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:58 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 20.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 73 | 77 | 88 | 91 | 95 | 103 | 101 | 96 | 93 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | -9 | -12 | -8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 24 | 11 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Catawissa Mountain, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Catawissa Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Catawissa Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Catawissa Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Catawissa Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Catawissa Mountain?
How far is Catawissa Mountain from Almedia?
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.