Tahawus — a ghost town in Essex County, New York — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) SSW of North Elba.
Tahawus (also called Adirondac, or McIntyre, pronounced tə-HAWZ) was a village in the Town of Newcomb, Essex County, New York, United States. It is now a ghost town situated in the Adirondack Park. Tahawus is located in Essex County within the unpopulated northern area designated to the town of Newcomb. Tahawus was the site of major mining and iron smelting operations in the 19th century. Although standing as recently as 2005, the last mining facilities have since been demolished and removed (with the exception of some minor garages, blast furnaces and outbuildings). It was in Tahawus in 1901 that Vice President Theodore Roosevelt learned President William McKinley was dying. The Adirondack Iron and Steel Company was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.From the Wikipedia article “Tahawus, New York”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tahawus the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 56° NE | 8:44 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 123° ESE | 4:21 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Tahawus, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:49 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:17 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (83%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 57 | 62 | 74 | 79 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 86 | 88 | 78 | 69 | 62 |
| Low °F | -27 | -27 | -20 | 6 | 24 | 33 | 41 | 42 | 28 | 21 | -9 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
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 Tahawus, closest first.
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Mountain Peak
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Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
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Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tahawus?
What time is golden hour at Tahawus?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tahawus?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tahawus?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tahawus?
How far is Tahawus from North Elba?
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.