Iditarod is a ghost town in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska.
Iditarod is an abandoned town in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is presently located within the boundaries of the Flat Census Designated Place, which has no residents as of 2000.From the Wikipedia article “Iditarod, Alaska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Iditarod the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 27° (NNE) at the June solstice and 147° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 333° (NNW) in June to 214° (SSW) 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) | 8:34 AM | 89° E | 8:47 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:34 AM | 27° NNE | 12:36 AM | 333° NNW | 51° | 20h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:17 AM | 88° E | 8:35 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 11:04 AM | 147° SSE | 3:59 PM | 214° SSW | 4° | 4h 55m |
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 | 9:42 AM | 10:43 AM | 1:02 PM | 2:23 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:43 PM | 6h 00m |
| February | 8:33 AM | 9:21 AM | 10:33 AM | 5:02 PM | 6:14 PM | 7:02 PM | 8h 53m |
| March | 8:06 AM | 8:50 AM | 9:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:19 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:59 PM | 10:51 PM | 14h 52m |
| May | 4:13 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:50 AM | 10:09 PM | 11:25 PM | 12:46 AM | 17h 51m |
| June | — | 4:35 AM | 6:11 AM | 10:56 PM | 12:33 AM | — | 19h 58m |
| July | — | 5:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 10:43 PM | 12:08 AM | — | 18h 58m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:41 AM | 9:34 PM | 10:41 PM | 11:39 PM | 16h 06m |
| September | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:58 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:44 PM | 13h 00m |
| October | 8:33 AM | 9:19 AM | 10:24 AM | 6:13 PM | 7:19 PM | 8:04 PM | 10h 00m |
| November | 8:54 AM | 9:49 AM | 11:27 AM | 3:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:42 PM | 6h 58m |
| December | 9:51 AM | 10:59 AM | — | — | 3:58 PM | 5:06 PM | 5h 00m |
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 | — | -7° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| 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 0.5+ 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 53% average cloud cover) and July 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 | 36 | 36 | 39 | 58 | 78 | 88 | 90 | 85 | 69 | 59 | 43 | 37 |
| Low °F | -53 | -46 | -34 | -23 | 6 | 26 | 33 | 31 | 19 | -11 | -35 | -47 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Iditarod?
What time is golden hour at Iditarod?
Where does the sun rise and set at Iditarod?
Can you see the Milky Way from Iditarod?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Iditarod?
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.