Monongahela National Forest is a national forest in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The nearest town is Marlinton, about 41 km (25 mi) away (Monongahela National Forest lies NNE of town).
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US. It protects over 921,000 acres (3,727 km2; 1,439 sq mi) of federally managed land within a 1,700,000 acres (6,880 km2; 2,656 sq mi) proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties. The Monongahela National Forest includes some major landform features such as the Allegheny Front and the western portion of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. Within the forest boundaries lie some of the highest mountain peaks in the state, including the highest, Spruce Knob (4,863 ft). Spruce Knob is also the highest point in the Allegheny Mountains. Approximately 75 tree species are found in the forest. Almost all of the trees are a second growth forest, grown back after the land was heavily cut over around the start of the 20th...From the Wikipedia article “Monongahela National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Monongahela 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 302° (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) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 120° ESE | 5:02 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
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 | 8:17 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Monongahela National Forest, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:31 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 82 | 90 | 89 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 75 | 74 |
| Low °F | -8 | -5 | -8 | 20 | 24 | 35 | 46 | 44 | 35 | 22 | 10 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
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 Monongahela National Forest, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Wilderness Area
WaterfallWaterfall
Cave
Wilderness Area
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Island Campground16.7 km (10.4 mi)
- Middle Mountain Cabins18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Laurel Fork Campground27 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Monongahela National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Monongahela National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Monongahela National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Monongahela National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Monongahela National Forest?
How far is Monongahela National Forest from Marlinton?
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.