Located in Hale County, Alabama, Arcola is a ghost town. The nearest town is Demopolis, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Arcola lies NE of town).
Arcola is a ghost town on the Black Warrior River in what is now Hale County, formerly Marengo County, Alabama. Named to honor the French victory during the Battle of Arcola, it was established in the early 1820s by former French Bonapartists as part of their Vine and Olive Colony, after they were forced to abandon their first town at Demopolis and many found Aigleville unsuitable. The first settler at the site was Frederic Ravesies, who established himself at what later became the Hatch Plantation. Although never more than a village, Arcola became the largest settlement in the colony. Beginning in the 1830s American settlers moved into the area and purchased most of the former French land grants, primarily using Arcola as a river landing. By the 1850s the French settlement had disappeared, replaced by a community of adjoining plantations.From the Wikipedia article “Arcola, Alabama”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arcola the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 61° ENE | 8:02 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 118° ESE | 4:50 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 00m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 01m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Arcola, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | 4:20 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:27 AM – 4:47 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:27 PM – 4:17 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 4:02 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:32 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:31 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.44 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 77 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 96 | 106 | 105 | 108 | 101 | 100 | 88 | 79 |
| Low °F | 12 | 19 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 54 | 56 | 55 | 43 | 30 | 19 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 5.5 |
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 ghost town
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Arcola, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Belmont Park9.4 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Foscue Creek10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Forkland11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Spillway Falls11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Lock 616.0 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arcola?
What time is golden hour at Arcola?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arcola?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arcola?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arcola?
How far is Arcola from Demopolis?
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.