Schafer is a ghost town in McKenzie County, North Dakota. It sits roughly 7.2 km (4.5 mi) E of Watford City.
Schafer is an unincorporated area and the former county seat of McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States. The county seat was moved to Watford City, and is now a ghost town. However, the town would still have existed if not for a land dispute between the Schafer family and the Great Northern Railway. The railroad never laid tracks due to this, but grading was done to the Missouri River. The farm of Albert and Lulia Haven was located just to the north of Schafer; they and their four children were murdered in February 1930. Charles Bannon, their hired hand, confessed to the killing; he became the last man in the state of North Dakota to be lynched. The only remaining sign of the town is the old county jail, from which Bannon was dragged by the lynch mob on the night of his death.From the Wikipedia article “Schafer, North Dakota”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Schafer the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:57 AM | 89° E | 8:06 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 53° NE | 9:56 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:40 AM | 125° SE | 5:04 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 8:03 AM | 8:38 AM | 9:28 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:03 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 7:28 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:44 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:48 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:01 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:43 AM | 9:05 PM | 9:54 PM | 10:35 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:57 AM | 9:01 PM | 9:48 PM | 10:27 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 8:55 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:47 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 8:00 AM | 8:36 AM | 9:29 AM | 4:09 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 26m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Schafer, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:29 AM – 3:49 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 1:03 AM – 2:43 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:32 AM – 1:42 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:12 PM – 11:42 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.51 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 66 | 78 | 90 | 95 | 105 | 108 | 107 | 100 | 90 | 73 | 56 |
| Low °F | -26 | -27 | -19 | 1 | 23 | 37 | 47 | 42 | 28 | 6 | -9 | -26 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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 Schafer, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ccc Campground (Nd)25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Juniper Campground Group Site (Nd)25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Schafer?
What time is golden hour at Schafer?
Where does the sun rise and set at Schafer?
Can you see the Milky Way from Schafer?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Schafer?
How far is Schafer from Watford City?
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.