Located in Dare County, North Carolina, Roanoke Colony is a ghost town. It lies in or next to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 4.4 km (2.7 mi) NW of Manteo.
The Roanoke Colony (, ROH-ə-nohk) was the site of two attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America. The first colony was established at Roanoke Island in 1585 as a military outpost, and was evacuated in 1586. The more famous second colony, known as the Lost Colony, began when a new group of settlers under John White arrived on the island in 1587; a ship in 1590 found the colony abandoned. Roanoke Colony was founded by Governor Ralph Lane in 1585 on Roanoke Island in present-day Dare County, North Carolina. Poor relations with some of the local Native American tribes and a lack of supplies troubled Lane's colony. A resupply mission by Sir Richard Grenville was delayed, so Lane abandoned the colony and returned to England with Sir Francis Drake in 1586. Grenville arrived two weeks later and also returned home, leaving behind a small...From the Wikipedia article “Roanoke Colony”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Roanoke Colony 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 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 60° ENE | 8:23 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 119° ESE | 4:53 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 44m |
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 Roanoke Colony, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 70 | 69 | 70 | 76 | 84 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 87 | 83 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | 25 | 22 | 32 | 43 | 49 | 63 | 70 | 71 | 62 | 47 | 38 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Roanoke Colony, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
Beach
BeachBeach
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeBeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Roanoke Colony?
What time is golden hour at Roanoke Colony?
Where does the sun rise and set at Roanoke Colony?
Can you see the Milky Way from Roanoke Colony?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Roanoke Colony?
How far is Roanoke Colony from Manteo?
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.