Stillwater — a ghost town in Churchill County, Nevada — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Fallon, about 20 km (13 mi) away (Stillwater lies ENE of town).
Stillwater is a ghost town in Churchill County, Nevada, United States. From November 8, 1867 to January 1, 1904, Stillwater served as the county seat of Churchill County until the role was moved to Fallon. In July 1862, a station of the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company was established in Churchill County. Its name was derived from the Stillwater Slough which was a deep sluggish waterway. Settlers began arriving in the fall of 1862 and the spring of 1863, and the town of Stillwater grew up around the station. On November 7, 1867, following a county vote, Stillwater became the county seat of Churchill County, replacing La Plata, and by May 7, 1868, the county seat post office had been moved there. Between 1867 and 1868, Stillwater was its most prosperous, with a population of 150.From the Wikipedia article “Stillwater, Nevada”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stillwater the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:26 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 120° ESE | 4:34 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Stillwater, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 7:56 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 74 | 73 | 81 | 91 | 103 | 105 | 110 | 105 | 103 | 92 | 78 | 67 |
| Low °F | 7 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 29 | 36 | 52 | 47 | 35 | 21 | 11 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 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
- 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.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- 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 Stillwater, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stillwater?
What time is golden hour at Stillwater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stillwater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stillwater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stillwater?
How far is Stillwater from Fallon?
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.