Dawson — a ghost town in Colfax County, New Mexico at about 1,932 m (6,339 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Raton, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Dawson lies SW of town).
Dawson (also Mountview) is a ghost town in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. Dawson is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Cimarron, and was the site of two separate coal mining disasters in 1913 and 1923. In 1950, the mines were closed, and by 1954 the last residents had left and the post office closed.From the Wikipedia article “Dawson, New Mexico”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dawson the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 60° ENE | 8:22 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 119° ESE | 4:47 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 40m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Dawson, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:55 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:02 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:16 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 66 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 98 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 95 | 87 | 78 | 69 |
| Low °F | 4 | -7 | 6 | 14 | 23 | 36 | 49 | 47 | 29 | 14 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 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
- 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.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Dawson, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dawson?
What time is golden hour at Dawson?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dawson?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dawson?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dawson?
How far is Dawson from Raton?
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.