Located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, Mount Davis is a mountain peak at about 978 m (3,209 ft) above sea level. It is part of Forbes State Forest. The nearest town is Meyersdale, about 13.3 km (8.3 mi) away (Mount Davis lies WSW of town).
Mount Davis (3,213 ft or 979 m) is the highest point in Pennsylvania. Located in Forbes State Forest near the hamlet of Markleton in Elk Lick Township, Somerset County, it lies on a gentle crest of a 30-mile (50 km) ridge extending from central Somerset County southward into Garrett County, Maryland, where it is known as Negro Mountain. A parcel of land on top of the mountain has been protected as Mount Davis Natural Area.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Davis (Pennsylvania)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Davis 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) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 58° ENE | 8:49 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 121° ESE | 4:56 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Mount Davis, 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:39 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:21 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:19 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.52 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 74 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -8 | 19 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Mount Davis, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Youghiogheny Recreation Area 16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Outflow Camping16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Somerfield North Recreation Area18.9 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
- Mill Run Recreation Area19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Davis?
What time is golden hour at Mount Davis?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Davis?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Davis?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Davis?
How far is Mount Davis from Meyersdale?
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.