Cumberland Mountain State Park — a state park in Cumberland County, Tennessee — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.0 km (3.7 mi) SSE of Crossville.
Cumberland Mountain State Park is a state park in Cumberland County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park consists of 1,720 acres (7.0 km2) situated around Byrd Lake, a man-made lake created by the impoundment of Byrd Creek in the 1930s. The park is set amidst an environmental microcosm of the Cumberland Plateau and provides numerous recreational activities, including an 18-hole Bear Trace golf course. Cumberland Mountain State Park began as part of the greater Cumberland Homesteads Project, a New Deal-era initiative by the Resettlement Administration that helped relocate poverty-stricken families on the Cumberland Plateau to small farms centered on what is now the Cumberland Homestead community. The families of Homestead built the park with help from the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. The park was deeded to the state of...From the Wikipedia article “Cumberland Mountain State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cumberland Mountain 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 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 60° ENE | 8:00 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:47 AM | 119° ESE | 4:30 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:01 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Cumberland Mountain 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 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 | 4:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 4:34 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 2:03 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:16 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:31 PM – 8:01 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: 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 ≈ 20.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 72 | 76 | 87 | 85 | 94 | 107 | 107 | 104 | 101 | 98 | 86 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 47 | 53 | 52 | 39 | 26 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 5.3 |
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 Cumberland Mountain State Park, closest first.
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WaterfallFAQ
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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.