Located in Somerset County, Maine, Flagstaff is a ghost town. The nearest town is Kingfield, about 23 km (14 mi) away (Flagstaff lies NNW of town).
Flagstaff is a ghost town and former plantation in Somerset County, Maine, United States, near the existing town of Eustis and approximately 20 miles north of Rangeley. Benedict Arnold camped here on his Quebec expedition and erected a flagstaff, hence the name. The town was abandoned and dismantled (and legally disincorporated) in 1950 to allow construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Dead River, which enlarged Flagstaff Lake and submerged the site of the settlement. The song "Below" by Slaid Cleaves on his 2004 album Wishbones refers to the destruction of the town, although it is not mentioned by name. The lyrics specifically mention the Dead River, and its general location.From the Wikipedia article “Flagstaff, Maine”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Flagstaff 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) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:54 AM | 55° NE | 8:33 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 124° ESE | 4:02 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 45m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:38 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:16 AM | 4:54 AM | 5:39 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 4:32 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:11 PM | 4:00 PM | 4:34 PM | 8h 46m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Flagstaff, 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 | 4:46 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:05 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 2:54 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 12:59 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 10:56 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 8:55 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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 57% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 49 | 54 | 68 | 74 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -32 | -32 | -21 | 0 | 23 | 33 | 42 | 40 | 27 | 15 | -5 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
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
- 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 Flagstaff, closest first.
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Flagstaff?
What time is golden hour at Flagstaff?
Where does the sun rise and set at Flagstaff?
Can you see the Milky Way from Flagstaff?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Flagstaff?
How far is Flagstaff from Kingfield?
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.