Beartown Wilderness — a wilderness area in Tazewell County, Virginia — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.7 km (5.4 mi) SE of Tazewell.
Beartown Wilderness is a U.S. wilderness area in the Eastern Divide Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The Wilderness consists of 5,613 acres (22.72 km2) of land with elevations ranging from 2,400 to 4,800 feet (730 to 1,460 m). It was created from existing National Forest lands in 1984 by the Virginia Wilderness Act of 1984. With its remote location, steep terrain and thick vegetation, the wilderness is rarely visited. It contains a unique combination of fast flowing streams, rare old-growth communities, sphagnum bogs and outstanding views. The area is part of the Garden Mountain Cluster.From the Wikipedia article “Beartown Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beartown Wilderness 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 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) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 60° ENE | 8:50 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:13 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 37m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 38m |
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 Beartown Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 | 5:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 6:00 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:13 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:30 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:40 PM – 4:10 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:44 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:45 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:43 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 8:47 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.56 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 September as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 69 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 90 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 95 | 91 | 77 | 75 |
| Low °F | -7 | -4 | -1 | 19 | 28 | 38 | 47 | 43 | 33 | 22 | 10 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 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 wilderness area
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Beartown Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beartown Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Beartown Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beartown Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beartown Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beartown Wilderness?
How far is Beartown Wilderness from Tazewell?
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.