Vulcan is a ghost town in Gunnison County, Colorado at about 2,720 m (8,924 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Gunnison, about 23 km (14 mi) away (Vulcan lies SSW of town).
Vulcan is a ghost town in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, approximately 15 miles (24 km) southwest of the City of Gunnison. Vulcan was a mining camp established along Camp Creek in 1894 and was deserted within thirty years.From the Wikipedia article “Vulcan, Colorado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Vulcan 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 301° (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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 59° ENE | 8:36 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:52 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Vulcan, 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 23° 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 | 5:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 53 | 52 | 66 | 72 | 87 | 92 | 93 | 88 | 86 | 76 | 64 | 51 |
| Low °F | -21 | -15 | -8 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 22 | 1 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
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 Vulcan, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Stevens Creek Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Red Bridge Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi)
- Elk Creek Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- East Elk Creek Group Campsite22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- The Gate Campground25 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Vulcan?
What time is golden hour at Vulcan?
Where does the sun rise and set at Vulcan?
Can you see the Milky Way from Vulcan?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Vulcan?
How far is Vulcan from Gunnison?
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.