Located in Carroll County, Arkansas, Winona Springs is a ghost town at about 396 m (1,299 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.1 km (5.7 mi) SSE of Eureka Springs.
Winona Springs is an extinct town in southwest Carroll County, in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The community was located in Winona Hollow adjacent to the Winona Spring. A meander in the Kings River is about one half mile to the southeast. Berryville lies about six miles to the northeast.From the Wikipedia article “Winona Springs, Arkansas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Winona Springs 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) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 60° ENE | 8:36 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 119° ESE | 5:04 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 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 Winona Springs, 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:26 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:25 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:32 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:36 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.51 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% 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 | 72 | 76 | 83 | 92 | 94 | 107 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 90 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -5 | 5 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 53 | 50 | 40 | 24 | 11 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
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
- 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 Winona Springs, closest first.
Waterfall
Cave
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
Cave
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dam Site River (Beaver Lake)17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Dam Site Lake Campground18.3 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Starkey Campground18.6 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Indian Creek Campground (Ar)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Lost Bridge North21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Winona Springs?
What time is golden hour at Winona Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Winona Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Winona Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Winona Springs?
How far is Winona Springs from Eureka Springs?
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.