Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area is a National River & Recreation Area in Kentucky, Tennessee. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Big South Fork the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:51 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:47 PM | 244° | 9h 56m |
| February | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:20 PM | 255° | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:51 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 283° | 13h 07m |
| May | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:39 PM | 295° | 14h 07m |
| June | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:21 PM | 8:59 PM | 300° | 14h 38m |
| July | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:58 PM | 298° | 14h 25m |
| August | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 288° | 13h 34m |
| September | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 274° | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:46 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 260° | 11h 17m |
| November | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 248° | 10h 14m |
| December | 7:44 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:25 PM | 241° | 9h 41m |
Computed for the park's reference point (36.5348, -84.6651); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Big South Fork, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:27 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.5 | 14° |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:23 AM | 1.7 | 21° |
| April | 2:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:41 AM – 4:41 AM | 4.0 | 25° |
| June | 10:50 PM – 4:20 AM | 5.5 | 25° |
| July | 10:45 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 10:07 PM – 12:57 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:55 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
2 Estimated Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars.
Weather & best time to visit
The weather along the Cumberland Plateau can be best described as unpredictable. Each season brings its own weather patterns. Summers are generally hot and humid, with high temperatures sometimes eclipsing 90 degrees. The low temperatures in winter often dip below freezing. Spring sees the most amount of precipitation, but rainfall can occur in various amounts throughout the year.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Getting there
Please use the following link to learn more about how to get here from various locations.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Boating
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- RV Camping
- Climbing
- Rock Climbing
- Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Food
- Picnicking
- Hiking
- Horse Trekking
- Horseback Riding
- Hunting and Gathering
- Hunting
- Paddling
- Junior Ranger Program
- Tubing
Nearby parks
TN
KY
KY/TN
KY
NC/TN
KY