Burke — a ghost town in Shoshone County, Idaho — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Osburn, about 13.6 km (8.5 mi) away (Burke lies E of town).
Burke is a ghost town in Shoshone County, Idaho, United States, established in 1887. Once a thriving silver, lead and zinc mining community, the town saw significant decline in the mid-twentieth century after the closure of several mines. In its early years, Burke was home to the Hercules silver mine, the owners of which were implicated in the Idaho mining wars of 1899. Both the Hecla and Star mines also operated out of Burke, and the town was a significant site during the 1892 Coeur d'Alene labor strike. Burke's location within the narrow 300-foot-wide (91 m) Burke Canyon resulted in unique architectural features, such as a hotel built above the railway and Canyon Creek, with the train track running through a portion of the hotel lobby. After several natural disasters and years of decline in the mid-twentieth century, Burke mining operations finally ceased in 1991 with the closing...From the Wikipedia article “Burke, Idaho”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Burke the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:47 AM | 53° NE | 8:45 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 125° SE | 3:55 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:30 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:06 AM | 4:46 AM | 5:34 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:23 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:01 PM | 3:53 PM | 4:29 PM | 8h 28m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Burke, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:17 AM – 3:57 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:16 AM – 2:36 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:47 PM – 1:37 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:18 PM – 12:38 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 10:31 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 47 | 52 | 63 | 76 | 83 | 96 | 99 | 101 | 91 | 81 | 59 | 44 |
| Low °F | -21 | -24 | -18 | 7 | 19 | 28 | 35 | 36 | 18 | -4 | -15 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
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.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- 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 Burke, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Shoshone Park Kitchen8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Arid Peak Lookout18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Avery Creek Cabin20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Jackpine Flats Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Sex Peak. Lookout Rental26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Burke?
What time is golden hour at Burke?
Where does the sun rise and set at Burke?
Can you see the Milky Way from Burke?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Burke?
How far is Burke from Osburn?
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.