Located in San Bernardino County, California, Kelso is a ghost town. It sits roughly 98 km (61 mi) ESE of Fort Irwin.
Kelso is a ghost town and defunct railroad depot in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California, USA. It was named after railroad worker John H. Kelso, whose name was placed into a hat along with two other workers to decide the name of the town. The town was built in 1905 specifically as a railroad station along the rail line between Utah and Los Angeles, originally called "Siding 16," because of its location and nearby springs that provided abundant water. Historic Spots in California states, "At Kelso stands a beautiful Spanish-style Union Pacific Depot built about 1906, surrounded by shade trees, a welcome rarity in the hot, barren desert."From the Wikipedia article “Kelso, California”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kelso 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 60° ENE | 8:01 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 119° ESE | 4:35 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 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 | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:05 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Kelso, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:21 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.7 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 (44%). 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 | 76 | 77 | 87 | 95 | 104 | 110 | 110 | 108 | 108 | 96 | 83 | 73 |
| Low °F | 17 | 19 | 23 | 29 | 35 | 44 | 57 | 51 | 41 | 26 | 21 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kelso, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mid Hills Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Hole-In-The-Wall Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Black Canyon Group And Equestrian Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kelso?
What time is golden hour at Kelso?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kelso?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kelso?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kelso?
How far is Kelso from Fort Irwin?
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.