Lugert is a ghost town in Kiowa County, Oklahoma. It sits roughly 12.1 km (7.5 mi) SE of Granite.
Lugert is an unincorporated community in Kiowa County, Oklahoma, United States. The town of Lugert was founded in 1901 on 80 acres (320,000 m2). In the town, there was a general store that housed the post office and sold dry goods, school supplies, groceries, harnesses, axes and much more. It was named for Frank Lugert, who had moved to the area in 1898. Lugert owned land where the town was sited and also owned the general store. At the peak of its prosperity the town had a bank, two hotels, two pool halls, two restaurants, a saloon and a lumberyard. On April 27, 1912, about 12:30 p.m. a tornado hit Lugert, which was then a town of 300 inhabitants. Three people died in the tornado and 41 of the 42 business buildings in the town were destroyed. In 1927, the city of Altus built a 458 ft (140 m) dam, 27 feet (8.2 m) high, across the North Fork of the Red River for a source of city...From the Wikipedia article “Lugert, Oklahoma”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lugert 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:25 AM | 60° ENE | 8:55 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 119° ESE | 5:30 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Lugert, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 6:19 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:53 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:40 PM – 4:30 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 1:00 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 11:01 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:28 PM – 9:08 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 79 | 89 | 94 | 103 | 106 | 115 | 114 | 114 | 107 | 100 | 89 | 82 |
| Low °F | 9 | 9 | 15 | 28 | 37 | 56 | 61 | 58 | 47 | 22 | 18 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lugert?
What time is golden hour at Lugert?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lugert?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lugert?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lugert?
How far is Lugert from Granite?
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.