Ashcroft — a ghost town in Pitkin County, Colorado — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of White River National Forest. It sits roughly 15.3 km (9.5 mi) S of Aspen. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ashcroft is an extinct mining town located in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The silver mining camp was founded as Castle Forks City in the spring of 1880. A post office named Ashcroft operated at the site from August 12, 1880, until August 5, 1881, when the name was changed to Chloride. The Chloride post office operated until January 3, 1882 when the name was changed back to Ashcroft. The renamed Ashcroft post office finally closed on November 30, 1912. On May 12, 1975, Ashcroft was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The townsite is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Aspen, Colorado, at an elevation of 9,521 feet (2,902 m). A few buildings remain standing as a testament to the town's past.From the Wikipedia article “Ashcroft, Colorado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ashcroft the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Ashcroft, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 36 | 34 | 55 | 61 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -26 | -34 | -23 | -12 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 10 | -7 | -29 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Ashcroft, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringHot Spring
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Difficult Campground10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Lincoln Creek Dispersed Campground11.2 km (7.0 mi)
- East Maroon Portal Picnic Site12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Silver Queen Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Silver Bell Campground12.6 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ashcroft?
What time is golden hour at Ashcroft?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ashcroft?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ashcroft?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ashcroft?
How far is Ashcroft from Aspen?
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.