Belmont is a ghost town in Dawes County, Nebraska. It sits roughly 43 km (26 mi) SW of Chadron.
Belmont is a semi-ghost town in Dawes County, Nebraska, United States, approximately 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Crawford. Originally known as Evergreen City, the settlement was existent by summer 1889, due to the construction of the Belmont Tunnel. However, when the town site was surveyed in 1890, only five blocks were sold. Belmont reached its population peak of around eighty residents in the late 1920s. The trend of declining population started with the Great Depression and accelerated with changes in transportation. Improved vehicles meant that shopping and selling of farm products could be done in larger towns nearby, and the Burlington Railroad ceased passenger service in 1969.From the Wikipedia article “Belmont, Nebraska”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Belmont the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 57° ENE | 8:35 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:24 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 05m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Belmont, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:26 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:31 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 68 | 70 | 79 | 87 | 96 | 105 | 106 | 103 | 101 | 88 | 77 | 64 |
| Low °F | -9 | -11 | -6 | 12 | 21 | 36 | 46 | 40 | 28 | 0 | 0 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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)
- Roberts Tract (Ne) Nebraska Nf22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Soldier Creek (Ne) Nebraska Nf24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Belmont?
What time is golden hour at Belmont?
Where does the sun rise and set at Belmont?
Can you see the Milky Way from Belmont?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Belmont?
How far is Belmont from Chadron?
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.