Seven County Scenic View — a scenic viewpoint in Fayette County, Pennsylvania at about 792 m (2,598 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Fairchance, about 4.4 km (2.7 mi) away (Seven County Scenic View lies SE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Seven County 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 58° ENE | 8:51 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 121° ESE | 4:58 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Seven County Scenic View, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.16 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 (78%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 74 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -8 | 19 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Seven County Scenic View, closest first.
Cave
Canyon
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Botanical Garden
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Somerfield North Recreation Area28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Mill Run Recreation Area30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Outflow Camping30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Youghiogheny Recreation Area 30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Seven County Scenic View?
What time is golden hour at Seven County Scenic View?
Where does the sun rise and set at Seven County Scenic View?
Can you see the Milky Way from Seven County Scenic View?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Seven County Scenic View?
How far is Seven County Scenic View from Fairchance?
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.