Dickson — a ghost town in Nome Census Area, Alaska — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Nome, about 48 km (30 mi) away (Dickson lies E of town).
Dickson was a settlement in the U.S. state of Alaska. Situated in the Nome Census Area on the Seward Peninsula, it was located directly opposite Solomon, on the east bank of the Solomon River. It was the coastal terminus of the Council City and Solomon River Railroad. All of its industries and inhabitants were connected with the railroad, and at its peak the town featured five saloons, six restaurants and other establishments. Established in 1903, it was named for T. Warren Dickson, general manager of the Western Alaska Construction Company, which built the railroad. By 1910, its population was approximately 50 residents.From the Wikipedia article “Dickson, Alaska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dickson the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 17° (NNE) at the June solstice and 154° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 343° (NNW) in June to 207° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 49° in summer but only 2° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:58 AM | 89° E | 9:13 PM | 272° W | 25° | 12h 15m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:14 AM | 17° NNE | 1:46 AM | 343° NNW | 49° | 21h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:42 AM | 88° E | 9:01 PM | 272° W | 26° | 12h 19m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 12:01 PM | 154° SSE | 3:53 PM | 207° SSW | 2° | 3h 52m |
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 | 10:21 AM | 11:30 AM | — | — | 4:45 PM | 5:55 PM | 5h 15m |
| February | 9:03 AM | 9:56 AM | 11:16 AM | 5:09 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:22 PM | 8h 34m |
| March | 8:28 AM | 9:17 AM | 10:21 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:46 PM | 11h 42m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:31 AM | 9:26 PM | 10:33 PM | 11:29 PM | 15h 09m |
| May | 3:42 AM | 5:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 10:45 PM | 12:12 AM | 2:07 AM | 18h 34m |
| June | — | 4:17 AM | 6:19 AM | 11:39 PM | 1:41 AM | — | 21h 25m |
| July | — | 5:05 AM | 6:46 AM | 11:22 PM | 1:03 AM | — | 19h 58m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:00 AM | 10:06 PM | 11:19 PM | 12:26 AM | 16h 31m |
| September | 7:32 AM | 8:21 AM | 9:25 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:16 PM | 13h 05m |
| October | 9:01 AM | 9:50 AM | 11:02 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:27 PM | 9h 48m |
| November | 9:30 AM | 10:31 AM | 12:40 PM | 2:46 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:56 PM | 6h 23m |
| December | 10:33 AM | 11:55 AM | — | — | 3:53 PM | 5:15 PM | 3h 58m |
Local time (America/Nome), 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 | — | -14° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| 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 (78%). 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 | 36 | 34 | 45 | 67 | 74 | 77 | 71 | 64 | 53 | 38 | 36 |
| Low °F | -33 | -32 | -25 | -12 | 6 | 28 | 37 | 37 | 29 | 9 | -15 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Dickson?
What time is golden hour at Dickson?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dickson?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dickson?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dickson?
How far is Dickson from Nome?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.