Jefferson National Forest — a national forest in Monroe County, West Virginia — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) SSE of Ronceverte.
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover 1.8 million acres (2,800 sq mi; 730,000 ha) of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Approximately 1 million acres (1,600 sq mi; 400,000 ha) of the forest are remote and undeveloped and 139,461 acres (218 sq mi; 56,438 ha) have been designated as wilderness areas, which prohibits future development.From the Wikipedia article “George Washington and Jefferson National Forests”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jefferson National Forest 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 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) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 120° ESE | 5:08 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Jefferson National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:59 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 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 October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 78 | 75 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | -5 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Jefferson National Forest, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Lake
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Steel Bridge Campground18.6 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Caldwell Fields Group Campground18.9 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jefferson National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Jefferson National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jefferson National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jefferson National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jefferson National Forest?
How far is Jefferson National Forest from Ronceverte?
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.