Cross Mountain is a mountain peak in Franklin County, Pennsylvania at about 627 m (2,057 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 13.4 km (8.3 mi) SW of Mercersburg.
Cross Mountain is the highest peak in the Bear Pond Mountains, a sub range of the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. This grouping of mountains straddle the Maryland and Pennsylvania border. Cross Mountain and Hearthstone Mountain 2,021 feet (616 m) which is on the Maryland side, form a unique geologic formation known as the "Punchbowl". This feature was created by the weathered shales of the Ordovician age in the center of a south-plunging anticline, having been eroded to expose a large amphitheater like feature (punchbowl). Cross and Hearthstone Mountain are made of hard resistant quartzite of the Tuscarora Formation of the Silurian age. Cross Mountain is also the site of a deactivated microwave relay station, that was used during the Cold War. The unit was encased in a 103 ft. tower, and known as the "Cannonball" site 2. The site was closed in 1977. Access to the summit...From the Wikipedia article “Cross Mountain (Pennsylvania)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cross 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 58° ENE | 8:44 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 121° ESE | 4:51 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Cross Mountain, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:34 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.13 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 76 | 78 | 89 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -10 | -5 | 22 | 29 | 42 | 52 | 52 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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 Cross Mountain, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered Bridge
Mountain Pass
State Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Licking Creek Hiker-Biker Campsite10.0 km (6.2 mi)
- Little Pool Hiker-Biker Campsite11.5 km (7.1 mi)
- Mccoy'S Ferry Campground13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- North Mountain Hiker-Biker Campsite13.4 km (8.3 mi)
- Jordan Junction Hiker-Biker Campsite17.8 km (11.1 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cross Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Cross Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cross Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cross Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cross Mountain?
How far is Cross Mountain from Mercersburg?
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.