Chesterfield — a ghost town in Caribou County, Idaho — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Conda, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Chesterfield lies WNW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Chesterfield is a ghost town in Caribou County, Idaho, United States. It is located in Gem Valley at an elevation of 5,446 feet (1,660 m). The community includes a cemetery and former buildings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) such as a former meeting house, amusement hall and tithing house. Located along a route of the Oregon Trail, Chesterfield was founded by Mormon settlers in 1881. After a railroad line was built through Bancroft to the south, the community lost some of its momentum, and agricultural difficulties led to its desertion by the end of the 1930s. Today, the community is operated as a tourist attraction, with guided tours and a museum. In 1980, the community was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district and is also on the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation's Mormon Historic Sites Registry. The historic...From the Wikipedia article “Chesterfield, Idaho”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chesterfield the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 56° ENE | 9:11 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 122° ESE | 4:57 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Chesterfield, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:09 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:12 AM – 5:02 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:25 PM – 3:25 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 2:03 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 12:10 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 10:06 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 (72%). 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 | 35 | 43 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 89 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 78 | 61 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -19 | -14 | -6 | 17 | 22 | 35 | 32 | 22 | 2 | -18 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sage Hen Flats Campground18.1 km (11.3 mi)
- Pebble Guard Station19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Big Springs - Caribou19.4 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Graves Creek Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi)
- Morgans Bridge Campground22 km (13 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chesterfield?
What time is golden hour at Chesterfield?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chesterfield?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chesterfield?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chesterfield?
How far is Chesterfield from Conda?
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.