Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest — a national forest in Fannin County, Georgia — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 22 km (14 mi) ESE of Blue Ridge.
The Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest in northern Georgia comprises two United States National Forests, the Oconee National Forest in eastern Georgia and the Chattahoochee National Forest located in the North Georgia Mountains. The Chattahoochee National Forest is composed of an eastern and western forest. The western forest contains Johns Mountain, Little Sand Mountain, and Taylor Ridge. The combined total area of the Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest is 867,265 acres (3,510 km2), of which the Chattahoochee National Forest comprises 751,069 acres (3,039 km2) and the Oconee National Forest comprises 116,196 acres (470 km2). The county with the largest portion of the eastern forest is Rabun County, Georgia, which has 148,684 acres (601.7 km2) within its boundaries.From the Wikipedia article “Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 61° ENE | 8:54 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 118° ESE | 5:30 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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
Forests suit soft light — overcast days reduce contrast under the canopy, and morning fog adds depth.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:51 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:28 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:00 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:07 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.55 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 71 | 75 | 83 | 85 | 92 | 107 | 104 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | 6 | 20 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 38 | 25 | 17 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.5 |
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 national forest
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Dispersed camping is often allowed, which makes sunrise and night shoots easier — check local rules.
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
Suggested gear: Polarizer, Tripod, Offline maps, Insect repellent. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Recreational drones are generally allowed in national forests outside designated wilderness, subject to FAA rules and temporary flight restrictions — wildfire TFRs are common in summer.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassWaterfallMountain PassMountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Deep Hole Recreation Area3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Cooper Creek Campground (Ga)3.8 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Frank Gross Campground7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area Campground (Clayton, Ga) 11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Toccoa River Sandy Bottoms Campground11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.