Kings Mountain National Military Park is a National Military Park in South Carolina. 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 Kings Mountain 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 245° | 10h 03m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:08 PM | 255° | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:33 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 283° | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 294° | 14h 00m |
| June | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:42 PM | 300° | 14h 31m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:41 PM | 297° | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:16 PM | 288° | 13h 30m |
| September | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 274° | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 260° | 11h 20m |
| November | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 248° | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 242° | 9h 48m |
Computed for the park's reference point (35.1390, -81.3898); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Kings Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:18 AM – 6:08 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:30 PM – 4:20 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:49 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:17 PM – 8:57 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
4 Estimated Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon.
Weather & best time to visit
Temperatures for the area range from very hot and humid in the summer to cool and moderate in the winter.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). 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
Kings Mountain National Military Park is located on South Carolina Highway 216. From Greenville, SC travel on I-85 North to NC Exit #2. Turn right onto Hwy 216. From Charlotte, NC travel on I- 85 South to NC Exit #2. Turn left onto Hwy 216.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Living History
- Junior Ranger Program
- Park Film
Nearby parks
NC/SC
SC
NC
NC/VA
SC
SC