Bellefonte — a ghost town in Jackson County, Alabama — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Scottsboro, about 9.2 km (5.7 mi) away (Bellefonte lies ENE of town).
Bellefonte is a ghost town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States, near the site of the Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station. It is located roughly two miles southeast of Hollywood, Alabama.From the Wikipedia article “Bellefonte, Alabama”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bellefonte 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 118° ESE | 4:37 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:07 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Bellefonte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:35 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.17 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 72 | 77 | 84 | 86 | 94 | 107 | 105 | 105 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 74 |
| Low °F | 5 | 7 | 17 | 23 | 37 | 51 | 55 | 53 | 40 | 28 | 18 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
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 Bellefonte, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bellefonte?
What time is golden hour at Bellefonte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bellefonte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bellefonte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bellefonte?
How far is Bellefonte from Scottsboro?
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.