Divide is a ghost town in Lane County, Oregon. It sits roughly 7.1 km (4.4 mi) SW of Cottage Grove.
Divide is a ghost town in Lane County, Oregon, United States, located southwest of Cottage Grove, near Interstate 5. A post office in Douglas County near a train station on the Southern Pacific Railroad was established on May 31, 1900, and it was closed on January 15, 1921. In 1909, the post office was relisted as a Lane County post office. It may have been moved across county borders, or its county may have changed during a shift in the border between Lane and Douglas counties. Divide got its name because it is very near the boundary between the Umpqua River watershed on the west and the Willamette River watershed on the east. On the west side, water flows into Pass Creek, and on the east side it flows into the Coast Fork Willamette River. Additionally, the southeast edges of the Siuslaw River watershed are immediately north of Divide.From the Wikipedia article “Divide, Oregon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Divide 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 56° NE | 8:59 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 123° ESE | 4:39 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 56m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Divide, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:19 PM – 2:59 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.09 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). August 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 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 85 | 92 | 98 | 101 | 104 | 98 | 90 | 74 | 61 |
| Low °F | 18 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 32 | 40 | 43 | 46 | 39 | 26 | 22 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 7.4 | 9.3 |
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 Divide, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pine Meadows Campground7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Schwarz Park12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Sharps Creek Recreation Site27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Divide?
What time is golden hour at Divide?
Where does the sun rise and set at Divide?
Can you see the Milky Way from Divide?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Divide?
How far is Divide from Cottage Grove?
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.