Located in Nye County, Nevada, Atwood is a ghost town at about 1,829 m (6,001 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Fallon, about 113 km (70 mi) away (Atwood lies SE of town).
Atwood is a former mining settlement located 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Mina in Nye County, Nevada. Founded in 1901, it was the most important mining village in the Fairplay Mining District, that was called "Atwood Mining District" as well. After Atwood was totally deserted in 1908, the settlement revived in 1914. The last resident left the mining settlement in 1959. Currently, only one foundation and fragments of glass remain. Atwood was named after the Atwood Mining District, which was named after its discoverer.From the Wikipedia article “Atwood, Nevada”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Atwood 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) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 59° ENE | 8:20 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 120° ESE | 4:34 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 | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Atwood, 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 | 4:58 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 11:56 PM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:02 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (55%). 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 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 100 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 60 |
| Low °F | -2 | 3 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 29 | 47 | 42 | 29 | 18 | 8 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Atwood?
What time is golden hour at Atwood?
Where does the sun rise and set at Atwood?
Can you see the Milky Way from Atwood?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Atwood?
How far is Atwood from Fallon?
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.