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Ghost Towns in New Mexico

21 ghost towns in New Mexico with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Grant County has the most (3). The darkest skies are at Mogollon (Bortle 1).

Top ghost towns

Santa RitaGhost Town
Santa RitaGrant County
DawsonGhost Town
DawsonColfax County
WaldoGhost Town
WaldoSanta Fe County
MogollonGhost Town
MogollonCatron County
Ghost Town
PiñonOtero County
BellviewGhost Town
BellviewCurry County
SteinsGhost Town
SteinsHidalgo County
White OaksGhost Town
White OaksLincoln County
Lake ValleyGhost Town
Lake ValleySierra County
ShakespeareGhost Town
ShakespeareHidalgo County
TrementinaGhost Town
TrementinaSan Miguel County
MillsGhost Town
MillsHarding County

Ghost Towns by county

All ghost towns (21)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Santa RitaGrant County1,998 mBayard2
DawsonColfax County1,932 mRaton1
WaldoSanta Fe County1,719 mLa Cienega3
MogollonCatron County—Silver City1
PiñonOtero County—Boles Acres2
BellviewCurry County—Bovina2
SteinsHidalgo County—Lordsburg1
White OaksLincoln County—Capitan1
Lake ValleySierra County—Hatch2
ShakespeareHidalgo County—Lordsburg3
TrementinaSan Miguel County—Las Vegas1
MillsHarding County—Raton1
NuttLuna County—Hatch2
TyroneGrant County—Silver City2
TolarRoosevelt County—Cannon Air Force Base1
Bonanza CitySanta Fe County1,837 mLa Cienega4
Old HachitaGrant County—Lordsburg1
BlackdomChaves County1,113 mDexter2
La BelleTaos County2,919 mQuesta1
ParajeSocorro County1,360 mElephant Butte1
HaganSandoval County1,763 mPlacitas4

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph ghost towns

Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.

  • 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.

Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.