Located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna National Forest is a national forest. It sits roughly 5.3 km (3.3 mi) SSE of Big Bass Lake.
Tobyhanna National Forest was established in Pennsylvania by the United States Forest Service on April 10, 1925, with 20,870 acres (84.5 km2) from part of the Tobyhanna Military Reservation. On October 10, 1928, the executive order for its creation was rescinded and the forest was abolished.From the Wikipedia article “Tobyhanna National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tobyhanna National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 57° ENE | 8:39 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 121° ESE | 4:37 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Tobyhanna National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:56 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:47 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:47 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 7:54 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.5 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 62 | 69 | 71 | 84 | 85 | 89 | 97 | 98 | 93 | 85 | 74 | 66 |
| Low °F | -15 | -20 | -5 | 17 | 26 | 35 | 44 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 4 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 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 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 Tobyhanna National Forest, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tobyhanna National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Tobyhanna National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tobyhanna National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tobyhanna National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tobyhanna National Forest?
How far is Tobyhanna National Forest from Big Bass Lake?
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.