Crystal Springs is a ghost town in Lincoln County, Nevada. It sits roughly 19.5 km (12.1 mi) NNW of Alamo.
Crystal Springs is a ghost town in the Pahranagat Valley region of Lincoln County, Nevada in the United States. The ghost town is located at the junction of State Route 318 and State Route 375 (Extraterrestrial Highway), just northwest of U.S. Route 93. It is a popular destination for passersby who want to visit the towns of Hiko and Rachel. The namesake of the ghost town, the Crystal Springs, lies nearby; it is a large group of marshes and springs along the White River. Crystal Springs provides irrigation for multiple nearby ranches and farms, some of which lie over 5 miles away from the springs. The ghost town is marked as Nevada Historical Marker 205 (Crystal Springs).From the Wikipedia article “Crystal Springs, Nevada”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crystal Springs 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 59° ENE | 8:06 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 120° ESE | 4:27 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:31 PM | 4:59 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Crystal Springs, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:39 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:16 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 3:38 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 1:52 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:19 PM – 9:49 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:32 PM – 7:52 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.87 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 (50%). 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 | 69 | 71 | 80 | 86 | 98 | 105 | 104 | 103 | 101 | 89 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | 3 | 11 | 20 | 22 | 28 | 33 | 55 | 50 | 32 | 18 | 14 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 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
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Crystal Springs, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crystal Springs?
What time is golden hour at Crystal Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crystal Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crystal Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crystal Springs?
How far is Crystal Springs from Alamo?
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.