Located in Chaffee County, Colorado, St. Elmo is a ghost town at about 3,050 m (10,007 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) SW of Buena Vista. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Saint Elmo is a ghost town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1880, Saint Elmo lies in the heart of the Sawatch Range, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Buena Vista and sits at an elevation of 9,961 feet (3,036 m). Nearly 2,000 people settled in this town when mining for gold and silver started. The mining industry started to decline in the early 1920s, and in 1922 the railroad discontinued service. The community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Saint Elmo Historic District. It is one of Colorado's best preserved ghost towns.From the Wikipedia article “Saint Elmo, Colorado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At St. Elmo 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 53m |
| 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 13m |
| 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 52m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 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 St. Elmo, 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
- 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 St. Elmo, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Iron City912 m · reservable
- Cascade (Colorado)8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Chalk Lake9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Cottonwood Lake - Psicc (Co)9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground (Salida, Co)10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph St. Elmo?
What time is golden hour at St. Elmo?
Where does the sun rise and set at St. Elmo?
Can you see the Milky Way from St. Elmo?
Do you need a permit to photograph at St. Elmo?
How far is St. Elmo from Buena Vista?
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.