Buckskin Joe is a ghost town in Park County, Colorado at about 3,289 m (10,791 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 18.2 km (11.3 mi) ENE of Leadville.
Buckskin Joe is an extinct gold mining town located in Park County, Colorado, United States. The town was founded in 1860 as Laurette, Kansas Territory. The Territory of Colorado was created in 1861, and Laurette served as the county seat of the Park County, Colorado Territory, from January 7, 1862, until November 7, 1867. On December 21, 1865, the Laurette, Colorado Territory, post office was renamed Buckskin, although the town was popularly known as Buckskin Joe.From the Wikipedia article “Buckskin Joe, Park County, Colorado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buckskin Joe the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Buckskin Joe, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:06 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 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
- 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.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Buckskin Joe, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fourmile9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Campground10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Roberts Cabin14.4 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Selkirk14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Michigan Creek22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buckskin Joe?
What time is golden hour at Buckskin Joe?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buckskin Joe?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buckskin Joe?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buckskin Joe?
How far is Buckskin Joe from Leadville?
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.