Located in Nye County, Nevada, Potts is a ghost town at about 2,029 m (6,657 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Fallon, about 189 km (117 mi) away (Potts lies ESE of town).
Potts is a ghost town and abandoned ranching property in Monitor Valley, Nye County, Nevada, approximately 2 miles east of Nevada State Route 82. The ranch was founded by William Potts in the 1870s, and would remain in the Potts family until 1944 when the property was sold to Harvey Sewell and O. G. Bates. The Potts' spread, which was recognized as one of the finest cattle outfits in the state at the time, eventually came to include other properties, including the Butler, Morgan Creek, and Wilson ranches. With Belmont, the nearest established community, being 37 miles away, a number of other ranches developing in Monitor Valley, and several small mining camps springing up on the eastern flank of the Toquima Range, the need developed for more localized postal facilities. The ranch was originally granted a post office in 1893, however the grant was rescinded before the office became...From the Wikipedia article “Potts, Nevada”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Potts 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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 59° ENE | 8:17 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 120° ESE | 4:28 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:10 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:02 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:42 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Potts, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:14 PM – 3:14 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 11:53 PM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 9:48 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.2 | 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 64 | 68 | 74 | 82 | 92 | 100 | 101 | 98 | 96 | 82 | 71 | 60 |
| Low °F | -8 | -1 | 8 | 12 | 19 | 26 | 42 | 40 | 24 | 15 | -1 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- 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 Potts, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Potts?
What time is golden hour at Potts?
Where does the sun rise and set at Potts?
Can you see the Milky Way from Potts?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Potts?
How far is Potts 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.