Blue Knob State Park is a state park in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. It sits roughly 10.9 km (6.8 mi) ESE of Beaverdale.
Blue Knob State Park is a 6,128-acre (2,480 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Kimmel, Lincoln, and Pavia townships in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The average annual snowfall at the park is about 12 feet (370 cm). The park is named for Blue Knob, the second highest mountain in Pennsylvania at 3,146 feet (959 m). It is the location of Blue Knob All Seasons Resort, the ski slope in Pennsylvania with the highest elevation. Blue Knob State Park is just off Interstate 99 on Pennsylvania Route 869 west of Pavia.From the Wikipedia article “Blue Knob State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blue Knob State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 58° ENE | 8:48 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 121° ESE | 4:52 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Blue Knob State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.42 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 76 | 82 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 95 | 92 | 88 | 74 | 70 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | -1 | 19 | 23 | 37 | 45 | 46 | 36 | 21 | 9 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
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.
- 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 Blue Knob State Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blue Knob State Park?
What time is golden hour at Blue Knob State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blue Knob State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blue Knob State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blue Knob State Park?
How far is Blue Knob State Park from Beaverdale?
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.