Located in Mohave County, Arizona, White Hills is a ghost town. It sits roughly 19.7 km (12.2 mi) NW of Dolan Springs.
White Hills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. It is 12.5 miles (20.1 km) northwest of Dolan Springs. As of the 2020 census, White Hills had a population of 345.From the Wikipedia article “White Hills, Arizona”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At White Hills the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 60° ENE | 7:58 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 119° ESE | 5:28 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 45m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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
From White Hills, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:26 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:32 AM – 4:32 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:45 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:00 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:13 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:29 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (43%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 79 | 79 | 91 | 98 | 107 | 115 | 116 | 112 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 59 | 47 | 28 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph White Hills?
What time is golden hour at White Hills?
Where does the sun rise and set at White Hills?
Can you see the Milky Way from White Hills?
Do you need a permit to photograph at White Hills?
How far is White Hills from Dolan Springs?
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.