Located in Caldwell County, North Carolina, Blowing Rock is a rock formation. The nearest town is Blowing Rock, about 2.8 km (1.7 mi) away (Blowing Rock lies SSE of town).
Blowing Rock is a rocky outcropping land feature in the town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, above a gorge in the northern most portion of Caldwell County. The prevailing wind blows through the gorge toward Blowing Rock. There, at the end of the gorge, the wind's path of least resistance is up the steep slopes surmounted by the outcropping, resulting in a nearly vertical and typically strong wind. The legend of the Blowing Rock is that a Cherokee brave leapt from the rock into the wilderness below, only to have a gust of wind return him to his lover on top of the rock. This is a typical example of a lover's leap legend. Blowing Rock is private property; a fee for access is payable at the adjacent souvenir shop. The 2008 feature film Goodbye Solo features Blowing Rock in its concluding scene.From the Wikipedia article “Blowing Rock (land feature)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blowing Rock 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:11 AM | 60° ENE | 8:48 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:16 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Blowing Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:16 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:53 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:53 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:48 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.29 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 71 | 79 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 96 | 99 | 94 | 92 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -4 | -5 | 0 | 21 | 30 | 39 | 50 | 46 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
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 rock formation
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Blowing Rock, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Julian Price Campground6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Johns River Road Backcountry Camping7.6 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Boone Fork Campground12.5 km (7.8 mi)
- Mortimer Campground16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Mortimer Campground16.3 km (10.1 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blowing Rock?
What time is golden hour at Blowing Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blowing Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blowing Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blowing Rock?
How far is Blowing Rock from Blowing Rock?
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.