Little Dry Run Wilderness is a wilderness area in Wythe County, Virginia. It sits roughly 13.3 km (8.3 mi) SSE of Rural Retreat.
The Little Dry Run Wilderness is an area in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the wilderness system, it is intended to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contribute to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness. Named after Little Dry Run, a stream lined with hemlocks and white pines that runs through the center of the wilderness, the area has good hikes far removed from the busy west side of the Mount Rogers Recreation Area: which is part of the Mount Rogers Cluster.From the Wikipedia article “Little Dry Run Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little Dry Run 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 60° ENE | 8:48 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:13 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Little Dry Run Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 6:09 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:43 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:42 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:46 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 ≈ 21.67 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 71 | 79 | 82 | 90 | 96 | 96 | 99 | 94 | 92 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -4 | -5 | 0 | 21 | 30 | 39 | 50 | 46 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 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 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.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- 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 Little Dry Run Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
State Park
State Park
Wilderness Area
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Comer'S Rock Recreation Area2.8 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Blue Springs Gap Cabin6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Hussy Mountain Horse Camp6.2 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Raven Cliff Recreation Area14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Collins Cove Horse Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Dry Run Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Little Dry Run Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little Dry Run Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little Dry Run Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little Dry Run Wilderness?
How far is Little Dry Run Wilderness from Rural Retreat?
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.