Located in Augusta County, Virginia, Saint Mary's Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 14.7 km (9.1 mi) SW of Stuarts Draft.
Saint Mary's Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The wilderness area is located next to the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Parkway's northern terminus and consists of 9,826 acres (39.76 km2). Saint Mary's Wilderness is the largest Virginia Wilderness on national forest land. Saint Mary's Wilderness ranges in elevation from about 1,780 feet (543 m) to 3,640 feet (1,109 m). The area has about 14 miles (23 km) of hiking trails within or near its boundaries. Saint Mary's Wilderness includes the drainages of Cellar Hollow, Spy Run, and the upper part of the Saint Mary's River. Each waterway is a tributary of the South River; via the Maury and James rivers, which are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.From the Wikipedia article “Saint Mary's Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Saint Mary's Wilderness 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 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 59° ENE | 8:43 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 120° ESE | 5:01 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
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 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 Saint Mary's Wilderness, 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 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 | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:16 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:57 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:30 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 10:26 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:28 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.43 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 October as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 74 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 101 | 104 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 4 | 23 | 31 | 42 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 17 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 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 wilderness area
- 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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Saint Mary's Wilderness, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sherando Lake Recreation Area Family Camping11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Sherando Lake Group Camp13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Sherando Lake Group Picnic Shelter13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Saint Mary's Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Saint Mary's Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Saint Mary's Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Saint Mary's Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Saint Mary's Wilderness?
How far is Saint Mary's Wilderness from Stuarts Draft?
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.