Brush Mountain East Wilderness is a wilderness area in Montgomery County, Virginia. It sits roughly 13.5 km (8.4 mi) NE of Blacksburg.
Brush Mountain East Wilderness is a U.S. wilderness area in the Eastern Divide Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. It was designated as wilderness area in 2009 by Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. The wilderness is adjacent to Brush Mountain Wilderness. Traversed by the Appalachian Trail, the wilderness is rugged and steep with contrasting habitats containing dry table mountain pine on the southwest ridges and sugar maples, white oaks, and hemlock in wetter drainages. Small tracts of old-growth forest support bird species dependent on mature, deciduous forests for breeding. The area is part of the Craig Creek Cluster.From the Wikipedia article “Brush Mountain East Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Brush Mountain East Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 59° ENE | 8:46 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 119° ESE | 5:08 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Brush Mountain East Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. 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 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 | 5:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:27 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:07 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:41 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:39 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.3 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.08 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 wilderness area
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Brush Mountain East Wilderness, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Botanical Garden
Cave
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Lake
National Forest
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Caldwell Fields Group Campground1.2 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Boley Field Group Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Brush Mountain East Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Brush Mountain East Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Brush Mountain East Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Brush Mountain East Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Brush Mountain East Wilderness?
How far is Brush Mountain East Wilderness from Blacksburg?
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.