Located in Fentress County, Tennessee, Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park is a state park. The nearest town is Jamestown, about 13.0 km (8.1 mi) away (Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park lies NNW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park is a state park in Pall Mall, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Situated along the Wolf River, the park contains the farm and gristmill once owned by decorated World War I soldier Alvin C. York (1887–1964), who lived in the Pall Mall area for his entire life. Along with the millhouse and milldam, the park includes York's two-story house, York's general store and post office, the Wolf River Cemetery (where York and his family are buried), the Wolf River Methodist Church, the York Bible Institute, and various picnic facilities.From the Wikipedia article “Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic 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 301° (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) | 6:44 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 60° ENE | 8:02 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 119° ESE | 4:28 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:00 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:24 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:25 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:21 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:16 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:31 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.74 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 | 69 | 72 | 82 | 83 | 91 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 83 | 72 |
| Low °F | -1 | -1 | 3 | 21 | 30 | 43 | 51 | 49 | 37 | 24 | 10 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.9 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Dark Sky Place
Scenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Obey River Park18.6 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Bandy Creek24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Station Camp Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park?
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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.