Dyea — a ghost town in Skagway Municipality, Alaska — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.8 km (3.6 mi) NNW of Skagway.
Dyea ( dye-EE) is a ghost town in the U.S. state of Alaska. A few people live on individual small homesteads in the valley; however, it is largely abandoned. It is located at the convergence of the Taiya River and Taiya Inlet on the south side of the Chilkoot Pass within the limits of the Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska.From the Wikipedia article “Dyea, Alaska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dyea the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 36° (NE) at the June solstice and 140° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 324° (NW) in June to 221° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:44 AM | 36° NE | 10:24 PM | 324° NW | 54° | 18h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 88° E | 7:03 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:00 AM | 140° SE | 3:01 PM | 221° SW | 7° | 6h 01m |
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 | 7:54 AM | 8:46 AM | 10:16 AM | 2:07 PM | 3:37 PM | 4:29 PM | 6h 51m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 16m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:09 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:01 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:18 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 31m |
| May | 3:26 AM | 4:28 AM | 5:33 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:31 PM | 17h 02m |
| June | 2:11 AM | 3:44 AM | 5:01 AM | 9:05 PM | 10:22 PM | 11:55 PM | 18h 38m |
| July | 2:57 AM | 4:11 AM | 5:22 AM | 8:54 PM | 10:05 PM | 11:19 PM | 17h 55m |
| August | 4:29 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 35m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:24 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 53m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 15m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:57 AM | 9:14 AM | 2:20 PM | 3:37 PM | 4:25 PM | 7h 39m |
| December | 7:59 AM | 8:55 AM | 10:48 AM | 1:07 PM | 3:00 PM | 3:56 PM | 6h 05m |
Local time (America/Juneau), 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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 February as the clearest month (about 68% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 38 | 32 | 39 | 42 | 56 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 59 | 47 | 36 | 34 |
| Low °F | -42 | -40 | -32 | -15 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 29 | 16 | -11 | -35 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
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.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Dyea, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
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Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dyea Campground620 m
- Chilkoot Trail Camping Permits6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Denver Caboose Cabin7.5 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Laughton Glacier Cabin16.0 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dyea?
What time is golden hour at Dyea?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dyea?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dyea?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dyea?
How far is Dyea from Skagway?
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.