The Solar Wind
The Solar Wind is an artwork in Virginia, at a modelled elevation of 332 m. Poor Mountain stands 1,141 m to the southwest, 8.6 miles off. The nearest named place is The Rock, a artwork 0.1 miles away. Blue Ridge Parkway passes 7.0 miles off.
What to expect
- Operated by
- Roanoke College
How to reach it
- 7.0 mi off the Blue Ridge Parkway, National
- 24.5 mi off the Farm Heritage Road
Overlooks nearby
- Mill Mountain Overlook · 7 mi
- Mill Mountain Star Overlook · 7 mi
- Roanoke Mountain Loop Lookout · 9 mi
- Roanoke River Overlook · 11 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Longwood Park: 0.4 mi
- East Hill Cemetery: 0.5 mi
- Lake Spring Park: 0.9 mi
- Ted Webber Park: 1.0 mi
- Sherwood Burial Park: 1.0 mi
- Little Brushy Mountain: 1.9 mi
- Twelve O'clock Knob: 3.6 mi
- Sugarloaf Mountain: 4.1 mi
- Green Ridge: 5.6 mi
- Round Hill: 5.7 mi
- Via Field Memorial: 3.2 mi
- Eagle Crossing Memorial: 3.3 mi
- Agatha Strother Lewis | Col. Elijah McClanahan: 4.4 mi
- Destroyed Parking Lot as of 6/3/18: 4.5 mi
- Dan Wright Memorial: 4.7 mi
- Salem Museum: 0.5 mi
- Virginia Museum of Transportation: 6.2 mi
- Roanoke Pinball Museum: 6.6 mi
- Taubman Museum of Art: 6.7 mi
- Taubman Museum of Art: 6.7 mi
- The Rock: 0.1 mi
- Merrill Gainer Statue: 4.9 mi
- Sculpture Garden: 5.4 mi
- Roanoke Firefighter statue: 6.3 mi
- Henrietta Lacks: 6.3 mi
- Happy Hollow Gardens Park: 4.9 mi
- Havens Wildlife Management Area: 5.9 mi
- Carvins Cove: 7.4 mi
- Read Mountain Preserve: 9.5 mi
- Explore Park: 12.2 mi
- Norfolk Southern 8661: 6.3 mi
- Jupiter Missile: 6.3 mi
- Dixie Caverns: 7.2 mi
- Roanoke Star: 7.5 mi
- Eastern Continental Divide: 14.7 mi
- Mountain View Community Garden: 5.4 mi
- George Washington Carver Community Garden: 6.0 mi
- Dr. Robert L. A. Keeley Healing Garden: 6.9 mi
- Community Garden: 7.4 mi
- Beale Garden: 7.5 mi
- Dragon's Tooth: 7.8 mi
- Tinker Cliffs: 10.3 mi
- Lovers Leap: 15.6 mi
- Iranto Rest Area: 10.1 mi
- Troutville Safety Rest Area: 17.9 mi
- Virginia Rest Area Mile 158 South (I-81): 18.0 mi
- Bent Mountain Falls: 14.1 mi
- Camp Creek: 14.2 mi
- Howrytown: 13.5 mi
- Spring Well #25: 20.0 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 15.6 miles of The Solar Wind. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poor Mountain | SW 218° | 1,141 m | 8.6 mi |
| Sinking Creek Mountain | NW 321° | 1,117 m | 12.6 mi |
| Chimney Rock | NW 317° | 1,108 m | 12.8 mi |
| Earn Knob | NW 326° | 1,097 m | 12.2 mi |
| Cahas Mountain | S 170° | 1,083 m | 12.5 mi |
| Fort Lewis Mountain | W 279° | 998 m | 5.8 mi |
| Bent Mountain | SSW 195° | 975 m | 10.6 mi |
| McAfee Knob | N 9° | 974 m | 6.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:25 | 18:58 | 19:32 |
| June solstice | 06:01 | 20:06 | 20:45 |
| September equinox | 07:09 | 18:45 | 19:19 |
| December solstice | 07:31 | 16:26 | 17:07 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 38 | 41 | 48 | 58 | 66 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 70 | 59 | 48 | 41 |
| Precip in | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Roanoke-blacksburg Rgnl AP, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/1770177519
Day trips start here
- Roanoke · 7 mi
Take the scenic way to The Solar Wind.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.