Fort Mountain State Park — a state park in Murray County, Georgia — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Chatsworth, about 6.1 km (3.8 mi) away (Fort Mountain State Park lies E of town).
Fort Mountain State Park is a 3,712-acre (15.02 km2) Georgia state park located between Chatsworth and Ellijay on Fort Mountain. The state park was founded in 1938 and is named for an ancient 885-foot-long (270 m) rock wall located on the peak. The nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places describes the wall as "more of a marker than a fortification, separating the north peak from the southern end."From the Wikipedia article “Fort Mountain State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Mountain State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:27 AM | 61° ENE | 8:56 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 118° ESE | 5:32 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:19 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Fort Mountain State Park, 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 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 6:21 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 4:54 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:41 PM – 4:31 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 1:11 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:30 PM – 9:10 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.12 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 71 | 75 | 83 | 85 | 92 | 107 | 104 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | 6 | 20 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 38 | 25 | 17 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.5 |
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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Fort Mountain State Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Mountain PassMountain PassMountain PassScenic ViewpointMountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Conasauga Overflow Campground11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Lake Conasauga Campground11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Woodring Branch Primitive Campground16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Woodring Campground (Ga)17.0 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Woodring Day Use Area Shelter17.1 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Mountain State Park?
What time is golden hour at Fort Mountain State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Mountain State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Mountain State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Mountain State Park?
How far is Fort Mountain State Park from Chatsworth?
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.