Located in Escambia County, Alabama, Fort Crawford is a ghost town. The nearest town is East Brewton, about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away (Fort Crawford lies ENE of town).
Fort Crawford was a fort that once provided defense for settlers in what is today East Brewton, Alabama.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Crawford (Alabama)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Crawford the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 62° ENE | 7:56 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:43 AM | 117° ESE | 4:51 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 07m |
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 | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 21m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 11h 06m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 44m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 09m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 59m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 35m |
| December | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 08m |
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 Fort Crawford, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:07 AM – 5:07 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:19 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:32 PM – 4:02 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:29 PM – 2:39 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:59 PM – 12:39 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:37 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:38 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.35 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% 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 | 87 | 86 | 98 | 101 | 105 | 105 | 108 | 105 | 102 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 12 | 20 | 23 | 33 | 43 | 56 | 61 | 56 | 44 | 31 | 21 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 5.7 |
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 ghost town
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Crawford?
What time is golden hour at Fort Crawford?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Crawford?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Crawford?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Crawford?
How far is Fort Crawford from East Brewton?
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.