Bunker Hill is a ghost town in Lewis County, Missouri at about 211 m (692 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Canton, about 19.5 km (12.1 mi) away (Bunker Hill lies WNW of town).
Bunker Hill is a former town in Lewis County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. Bunker Hill was laid out in 1855. The community's name commemorated the Battle of Bunker Hill. A post office was established at Bunker Hill in 1855, and remained in operation until 1904.From the Wikipedia article “Bunker Hill, Lewis County, Missouri”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bunker Hill 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:41 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Bunker Hill, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.77 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 December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 64 | 73 | 78 | 85 | 95 | 107 | 109 | 107 | 102 | 94 | 77 | 71 |
| Low °F | -28 | -12 | -6 | 18 | 32 | 46 | 51 | 47 | 35 | 23 | 8 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bunker Hill?
What time is golden hour at Bunker Hill?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bunker Hill?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bunker Hill?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bunker Hill?
How far is Bunker Hill from Canton?
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.