Located in Raleigh County, West Virginia, Castle Rock Trail is a rock formation. It lies in or next to New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 8.0 km (5.0 mi) ENE of Stanaford.
From the National Park Service
Labeled (4) on the Grandview Area Trails map Length 0.6 miles/0.97 km (One-way) Difficulty Strenuous Trail type Hiking only Trail Description This strenuous 0.6 mile trail begins near Main Overlook and ends where it intersects the Grandview Rim Trail , approximately 0.5 mile from Main Overlook. Hikers will find close-up views of towering fortress-like rock walls and exposed coal seams. The Castle Rock Trail and Grandview Rim Trail can make a great one mile loop. This loop will take hikers below the overhanging cliffs on the Castle Rock Trail and then alongside the outstanding viewpoints on the Grandview Rim Trail.This trail is considered strenuous and is not recommended for young children because of uneven footing and steep drop-offs. To reach trailhead This trail begins near the Grandview Main Overlook and ends as it intersects with the Grandview Rim Trail.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Rock Trail 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) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 59° ENE | 8:50 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 120° ESE | 5:09 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Castle Rock Trail, 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 23° 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 | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 4:03 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:36 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:33 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:35 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 ≈ 21.46 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 September as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 69 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 90 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 95 | 91 | 77 | 75 |
| Low °F | -7 | -4 | -1 | 19 | 28 | 38 | 47 | 43 | 33 | 22 | 10 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 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 rock formation
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Castle Rock Trail, closest first.
Ghost TownGhost Town
State ParkGhost Town
Rock Formation
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grandview Playground Shelter52 m · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 152 m · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 452 m · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 352 m · reservable
- Grandview Shelter 252 m · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Rock Trail?
What time is golden hour at Castle Rock Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Rock Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Rock Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Rock Trail?
How far is Castle Rock Trail from Stanaford?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.