Chisana is a ghost town in Copper River Census Area, Alaska. It is part of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Chisana (also Shushanna) (Tsetsaan' Na in Ahtna) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Copper River Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, Chisana had a population of 0. The English name Chisana derives from the Ahtna Athabascan name Tsetsaan' Na, meaning literally "copper river" (not to be confused with the river known in English as the Copper River). The Chisana River joins the Nabesna River just north of Northway Junction, Alaska, to form the Tanana River, a major tributary of the Yukon River. The Chisana Airport consists of a turf and gravel runway which is largely serviced by flights from Tok, Alaska. In 1985, the community was listed as Chisana Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. In 1998 the Chisana Historic Mining Landscape historic district, comprising the community and a wide 27,000 acres (11,000...From the Wikipedia article “Chisana, Alaska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chisana the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 29° (NNE) at the June solstice and 146° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 331° (NNW) in June to 215° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 51° in summer but only 4° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:43 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:37 AM | 29° NNE | 11:24 PM | 331° NNW | 51° | 19h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 88° E | 7:30 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:54 AM | 146° SE | 3:01 PM | 215° SW | 4° | 5h 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 | 8:35 AM | 9:34 AM | 11:38 AM | 1:38 PM | 3:43 PM | 4:41 PM | 6h 09m |
| February | 7:28 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:25 AM | 4:01 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:59 PM | 8h 57m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:45 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 5:14 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:43 PM | 14h 48m |
| May | 3:18 AM | 4:34 AM | 5:48 AM | 9:02 PM | 10:17 PM | 11:33 PM | 17h 42m |
| June | — | 3:38 AM | 5:10 AM | 9:49 PM | 11:21 PM | — | 19h 43m |
| July | 2:18 AM | 4:11 AM | 5:34 AM | 9:35 PM | 10:58 PM | 12:52 AM | 18h 47m |
| August | 4:36 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:31 PM | 16h 01m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 12h 59m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:17 AM | 5:12 PM | 6:16 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 02m |
| November | 7:47 AM | 8:41 AM | 10:15 AM | 2:13 PM | 3:46 PM | 4:40 PM | 7h 05m |
| December | 8:43 AM | 9:48 AM | — | — | 3:00 PM | 4:06 PM | 5h 12m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 36 | 34 | 40 | 51 | 69 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 63 | 54 | 34 | 31 |
| Low °F | -51 | -47 | -47 | -12 | 2 | 20 | 32 | 24 | 6 | -20 | -37 | -42 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Chisana?
What time is golden hour at Chisana?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chisana?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chisana?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chisana?
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.