Bayfield is a ghost town in DeKalb County, Missouri at about 270 m (886 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Gower, about 19.0 km (11.8 mi) away (Bayfield lies N of town).
Bayfield is an extinct town in the southwest corner of DeKalb County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. The community was on the Little Third Fork Platte River approximately three miles southwest of Clarksdale and one-quarter mile east of the DeKalb-Buchanan county line. Bayfield had its start c. 1880 when the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railway was extended to that point. A post office called Bayfield was established in 1886, and remained in operation until 1917.From the Wikipedia article “Bayfield, Missouri”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bayfield the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 58° ENE | 8:51 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 121° ESE | 4:58 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 22m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Bayfield, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.32 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 71 | 75 | 81 | 88 | 97 | 107 | 109 | 110 | 103 | 93 | 77 | 73 |
| Low °F | -16 | -10 | -4 | 17 | 31 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 38 | 22 | 9 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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 Bayfield, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bayfield?
What time is golden hour at Bayfield?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bayfield?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bayfield?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bayfield?
How far is Bayfield from Gower?
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.