Leesburg — a ghost town in Lemhi County, Idaho — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.9 km (11.1 mi) WNW of Salmon. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Leesburg is an unincorporated community in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States. It lies at 45°13′26″N 114°6′50″W, along Napias Creek in the Salmon National Forest, west of Salmon. Its altitude is 6,653 feet (2,028 m).From the Wikipedia article “Leesburg, Idaho”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Leesburg the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 55° NE | 9:28 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:13 AM | 124° ESE | 4:57 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 44m |
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 | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:29 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Leesburg, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:41 AM – 6:01 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:40 AM – 5:00 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:39 AM – 3:49 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:01 AM – 3:11 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:44 PM – 1:54 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:40 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:30 PM – 9:50 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 43 | 47 | 63 | 72 | 82 | 89 | 98 | 94 | 89 | 81 | 63 | 42 |
| Low °F | -30 | -32 | -13 | 1 | 17 | 24 | 33 | 29 | 21 | -2 | -20 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Leesburg, closest first.
Waterfall
National ForestWaterfall
National Forest
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wallace Lake Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi)
- Morgan Bar Campground16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Tower Rock Campground19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Shoup Bridge Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Williams Lake Campground25 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Leesburg?
What time is golden hour at Leesburg?
Where does the sun rise and set at Leesburg?
Can you see the Milky Way from Leesburg?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Leesburg?
How far is Leesburg from Salmon?
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.