Located in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, I-81 Scenic View is a scenic viewpoint at about 451 m (1,480 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 3.7 km (2.3 mi) WNW of Tremont.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At I-81 Scenic View the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:41 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 121° ESE | 4:42 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 17m |
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 I-81 Scenic View, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 3:49 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:26 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 64 | 73 | 77 | 88 | 91 | 95 | 103 | 101 | 96 | 93 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | -9 | -12 | -8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 24 | 11 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
- Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
- Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
- Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of I-81 Scenic View, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Hot Spring
Ghost Town
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph I-81 Scenic View?
What time is golden hour at I-81 Scenic View?
Where does the sun rise and set at I-81 Scenic View?
Can you see the Milky Way from I-81 Scenic View?
Do you need a permit to photograph at I-81 Scenic View?
How far is I-81 Scenic View from Tremont?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.