Mary Murphy Mine — a ghost town in Chaffee County, Colorado — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Buena Vista, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Mary Murphy Mine lies SW of town).
The Mary Murphy Mine was the principal gold mine of the Chalk Creek mining district of Chaffee County, Colorado, United States, near St. Elmo, Colorado. The Mary Murphy Mine operated continuously from 1870 to 1925, and produced 220 thousand ounces of gold, worth $4.4 million then (or about $256,683,000 in 2023), plus considerable silver, lead, and zinc. There were two aerial tramways connecting the mine to Romley, Colorado, and the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad. In 1984 the Historic American Engineering Record recorded the structures then standing in the area.From the Wikipedia article “Mary Murphy Mine”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mary Murphy Mine 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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Mary Murphy Mine, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 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 ≈ 21.79 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 June as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 44 | 48 | 63 | 68 | 82 | 86 | 87 | 83 | 82 | 72 | 60 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -25 | -13 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 35 | 34 | 19 | -3 | -21 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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.
- 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 Mary Murphy Mine, closest first.
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Iron City4.6 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground (Salida, Co)6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi)
- Cascade (Colorado)10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Quartz10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mary Murphy Mine?
What time is golden hour at Mary Murphy Mine?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mary Murphy Mine?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mary Murphy Mine?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mary Murphy Mine?
How far is Mary Murphy Mine from Buena Vista?
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.