Allred — a ghost town in Nye County, Nevada at about 1,477 m (4,846 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Spring Creek, about 228 km (142 mi) away (Allred lies S of town).
Allred is a ghost town situated in Nye County, Nevada. A post office in the settlement opened on April 17, 1911 with Allen Oxborrow and George Kump as postmasters. The post office was closed more than a year later on October 31, 1912. There are no visible remains left of Allred.From the Wikipedia article “Allred, Nevada”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Allred the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 59° ENE | 8:11 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 120° ESE | 4:25 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:30 PM | 4:59 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Allred, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:54 AM – 4:24 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 3:35 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:07 PM – 3:17 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 11:47 PM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 9:42 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 7:53 PM | 0.3 | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 65 | 68 | 79 | 85 | 96 | 103 | 105 | 102 | 99 | 87 | 74 | 61 |
| Low °F | -3 | 6 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 30 | 49 | 46 | 30 | 17 | 6 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Allred, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Allred?
What time is golden hour at Allred?
Where does the sun rise and set at Allred?
Can you see the Milky Way from Allred?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Allred?
How far is Allred from Spring Creek?
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.