Monte Ne — a ghost town in Benton County, Arkansas — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Prairie Creek, about 6.1 km (3.8 mi) away (Monte Ne lies S of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Monte Ne was a health resort and planned community established and operated by William Hope Harvey from 1901 into the 1920s. It was located in a valley just east of the town of Rogers, Arkansas, though today its location is mostly under the waters of Beaver Lake. The resort consisted of several hotels, a lake, an indoor swimming pool, a golf course, tennis courts, bowling alleys, its own post office and bank, as well as a dedicated train line and an imported Italian gondola to conduct guests to the resort. In 1931 Monte Ne was the site of the only presidential convention ever held in the state.From the Wikipedia article “Monte Ne”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Monte Ne 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 60° ENE | 8:38 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 119° ESE | 5:06 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 42m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Monte Ne, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:26 PM – 4:06 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.67 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 73 | 76 | 85 | 93 | 93 | 105 | 108 | 112 | 102 | 90 | 80 | 73 |
| Low °F | -7 | -4 | 4 | 22 | 33 | 49 | 53 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 13 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 6.1 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Monte Ne, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Horseshoe Bend (Beaver Lake)4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Hickory Creek Park (Ar)5.7 km (3.5 mi) · reservable
- Prairie Creek (Ar)7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- War Eagle Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Branch Campground13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Monte Ne?
What time is golden hour at Monte Ne?
Where does the sun rise and set at Monte Ne?
Can you see the Milky Way from Monte Ne?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Monte Ne?
How far is Monte Ne from Prairie Creek?
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.