Old Rag Mountain is a mountain peak in Madison County, Virginia at about 998 m (3,274 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Shenandoah National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 16.4 km (10.2 mi) E of Stanley.
Old Rag Mountain is a 3,284-foot (1,001 m) mountain near Sperryville in Madison County, Virginia. A part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the peak is located within Shenandoah National Park and is the most popular hiking destination within the park. In contrast to most mountains of the Blue Ridge, Old Rag has an exposed (rocky) summit.From the Wikipedia article “Old Rag Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Rag Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:42 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 120° ESE | 4:56 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Old Rag Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.3 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 93 | 96 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 80 | 77 |
| Low °F | -3 | -3 | -6 | 22 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 49 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Old Rag Mountain, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Meadows Campground - Shenandoah (Va)11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Lewis Mountain Campground19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Mathews Arm Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Camp Roosevelt27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Rag Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Old Rag Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Old Rag Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Old Rag Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Rag Mountain?
How far is Old Rag Mountain from Stanley?
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.