Located in Augusta County, Virginia, Humpback Gap Overlook is a scenic viewpoint at about 729 m (2,392 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 8.0 km (5.0 mi) SSE of Lyndhurst.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Humpback Gap Overlook 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 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 59° ENE | 8:42 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 120° ESE | 5:00 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Humpback Gap Overlook, 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 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:29 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:27 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: 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 ≈ 21.09 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 74 | 75 | 82 | 92 | 97 | 103 | 106 | 104 | 100 | 100 | 85 | 77 |
| Low °F | 2 | -1 | 4 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 54 | 52 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Humpback Gap Overlook, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sherando Lake Group Camp8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Sherando Lake Group Picnic Shelter8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Sherando Lake Recreation Area Family Camping11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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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.