Located in Clay County, Kentucky, Daniel Boone National Forest is a national forest. It sits roughly 9.1 km (5.7 mi) ESE of Annville.
The Daniel Boone National Forest (originally the Cumberland National Forest) is a national forest in Kentucky, United States. Established in 1937, it includes 708,000 acres (287,000 ha) of federally owned land within a 2,100,000-acre (850,000 ha) proclamation boundary. The name of the forest was changed in 1966 in honor of the explorer Daniel Boone. The terrain of the forest is generally rugged, and includes multiple prominent water features. It is home to a range of plant and animal species, although many areas still bear evidence of industrial logging and other practices which took place mostly prior to federal protection. It is a popular recreational and tourist destination which serves a million or more visitors a year, and contains several widely recognized areas which are protected in their own right, including state parks, trails, wilderness areas, and landmarks.From the Wikipedia article “Daniel Boone National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Daniel Boone National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:16 AM | 59° ENE | 9:00 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 119° ESE | 5:22 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:19 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Daniel Boone National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:40 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:52 PM – 4:22 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:46 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 12:56 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 10:54 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 8:47 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 73 | 83 | 83 | 94 | 106 | 105 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 83 | 74 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | -2 | 22 | 29 | 43 | 52 | 48 | 39 | 26 | 6 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.3 |
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
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Daniel Boone National Forest, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Waterfall
CaveWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Daniel Boone National Forest?
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How far is Daniel Boone National Forest from Annville?
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.