Moncove Lake State Park — a state park in Monroe County, West Virginia — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ronceverte, about 17.4 km (10.8 mi) away (Moncove Lake State Park lies SSE of town).
Moncove Lake State Park was created in 1990 by setting aside 250 acres (1.0 km2) of the Moncove Lake Wildlife Management Area to be operated as a state park. (The park has since been expanded to 896 acres (3.63 km2).) The park is located near Union in Monroe County, West Virginia. The park sits on the shores of 144-acre (0.58 km2) Moncove Lake, and underneath the flyway of the fall eastern hawk migration. The current park superintendent is John Dempsey, a West Virginia native and life-long resident. Power boats on Moncove Lake are limited to 5 horsepower (3.7 kW).From the Wikipedia article “Moncove Lake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Moncove Lake State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 120° ESE | 5:07 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Moncove Lake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:58 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:32 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 78 | 75 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | -5 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 49 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 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 Moncove Lake State Park, closest first.
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Cave
Cave
Scenic Viewpoint
National Forest
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Steel Bridge Campground11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Fenwick Mines Pavilion27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Moncove Lake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Moncove Lake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Moncove Lake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Moncove Lake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Moncove Lake State Park?
How far is Moncove Lake State Park from Ronceverte?
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.