Located in Chugach Census Area, Alaska, Katalla is a ghost town.
Katalla (pronounced KA-tell-ah, sometimes spelled Catalla) is a ghost town in the Chugach Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska, 76 km (47 mi) southeast of Cordova. The name of this town was sometimes spelled Catalla. It is now abandoned.From the Wikipedia article “Katalla, Alaska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Katalla the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 35° (NE) at the June solstice and 141° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 326° (NW) in June to 219° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:53 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:12 AM | 35° NE | 11:09 PM | 326° NW | 53° | 18h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 88° E | 7:40 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:43 AM | 141° SE | 3:31 PM | 219° SW | 6° | 5h 48m |
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 | 8:34 AM | 9:28 AM | 11:04 AM | 2:32 PM | 4:09 PM | 5:02 PM | 6h 41m |
| February | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:22 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:13 PM | 9h 11m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:51 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:43 PM | 14h 36m |
| May | 3:55 AM | 4:59 AM | 6:07 AM | 9:04 PM | 10:11 PM | 11:16 PM | 17h 12m |
| June | 2:23 AM | 4:13 AM | 5:33 AM | 9:46 PM | 11:06 PM | 12:56 AM | 18h 53m |
| July | 3:21 AM | 4:41 AM | 5:55 AM | 9:35 PM | 10:48 PM | 12:09 AM | 18h 08m |
| August | 5:01 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:26 PM | 15h 42m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:06 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:44 PM | 12h 55m |
| October | 7:36 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:18 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:13 PM | 10h 11m |
| November | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 9:59 AM | 2:48 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:58 PM | 7h 30m |
| December | 8:40 AM | 9:38 AM | 11:48 AM | 1:20 PM | 3:30 PM | 4:28 PM | 5h 52m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| 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 0.5+ 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 69% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (86%). 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 | 39 | 38 | 46 | 52 | 54 | 72 | 73 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 41 | 38 |
| Low °F | -12 | -12 | -13 | -1 | 20 | 32 | 37 | 36 | 21 | 5 | -12 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 11.3 | 10.3 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 6.9 | 11.3 | 15.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 13.2 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Katalla, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Katalla?
What time is golden hour at Katalla?
Where does the sun rise and set at Katalla?
Can you see the Milky Way from Katalla?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Katalla?
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.