Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site — a state park in Washington County, Tennessee — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.7 km (1.1 mi) WSW of Pine Crest. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, known also as Tipton-Haynes House, is a Tennessee State Historic Site located at 2620 South Roan Street in Johnson City, Tennessee. It includes a house originally built in 1784 by Colonel John Tipton, and 10 other buildings, including a smokehouse, pigsty, loom house, still house, springhouse, log barn and corncrib. There is also the home of George Haynes, a Haynes family slave. Tipton led the opposition to the State of Franklin, an unsuccessful attempt by the Tennessee Valley residents to form a state in the mid-1780s. In late February 1788, the so-called "Battle of Franklin" took place when a militia led by John Sevier, who had been elected governor of the proposed state, surrounded the Tipton farm and demanded the return of several slaves Tipton had confiscated from Sevier upon court order from the State of North Carolina. When Tipton refused,...From the Wikipedia article “Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site 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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 60° ENE | 8:51 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 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 | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 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 Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:46 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:45 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 8:50 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% 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 | 71 | 74 | 80 | 83 | 90 | 102 | 101 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 81 | 74 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 7 | 20 | 33 | 41 | 51 | 49 | 37 | 23 | 15 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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 Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Mountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointMountain Pass
State ParkMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Rock Creek Recreation Area (Cherokee National Forest, Tn)17.4 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Cardens Bluff Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Dennis Cove Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Katy Branch22 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site?
How far is Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site from Pine Crest?
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.