Big Ridge State Park — a state park in Union County, Tennessee — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.3 km (7.0 mi) W of Maynardville.
Big Ridge State Park is a state park in Union County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of 3,687 acres (14.92 km2) on the southern shore of the Norris Reservoir, an impoundment of the Clinch River created by the completion of Norris Dam in 1936. Much of the park's recreational focus is on Big Ridge Lake, a 45-acre (0.18 km2) sub-impoundment of Norris near the center of the park. Big Ridge State Park was first developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s as part of the greater Norris Project. The park was one of three of the project's demonstration recreational areas that eventually became state parks (Norris Dam State Park and Cove Lake State Park are the other two). The park's recreational facilities opened in May 1934. The park is now operated and maintained by...From the Wikipedia article “Big Ridge State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Ridge State Park 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) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:19 AM | 60° ENE | 8:57 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 119° ESE | 5:25 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Big Ridge State Park, 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 | 5:24 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 6:19 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:26 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:53 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 10:52 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 8:57 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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 ≈ 21.43 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 74 | 82 | 82 | 93 | 105 | 104 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 84 | 73 |
| Low °F | -1 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 31 | 43 | 52 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 14 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
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
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Big Ridge State Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Natural Arch
State Park
CaveFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Ridge State Park?
What time is golden hour at Big Ridge State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Ridge State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Ridge State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Ridge State Park?
How far is Big Ridge State Park from Maynardville?
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.